


Step by Step

by StrategicDilemma



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Angst, Camping, Coming of Age, DressedinPinkShipping, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Explicit Language, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Road Trips, Slow Burn, backpacking, bederia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-19 02:29:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22003780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrategicDilemma/pseuds/StrategicDilemma
Summary: Bede and Gloria decide to take a break from their responsibilities as Gym Leader and Champion and backpack across Galar together.Set two years after end of the main story in Sword and Shield.Currently rated M for language (for now), but other warnings/tags will be added as the story progresses.
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria
Comments: 67
Kudos: 429





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The characters are roughly 15-16 to here and were aged to up have experienced the main story at age 13-14 rather than at age 10. The post-game plot has occurred, but assume that neither Zacian nor Zamazenta have been caught.
> 
> Gloria picked Scorbunny as her starter. Her hair is the "Long and Straight" cosmetic option with side-swept bangs, with other hairstyles being "Ponytail," "Braided Pigtails," and "Romantic Tuck."
> 
> The story will start with Bede's perspective but will probably switch between his and Gloria's as the story continues.
> 
> Obvious spoilers for the Sword and Shield main story/post-game story.

Bede remembered watching the Champion Cup year after year as a young trainer. He and the staff at Macro Cosmos would gather around the TV, watching Raihan destroy the League challengers and other Gym Leaders mercilessly only to be tossed aside by Leon’s strength every time. Each time he watched the finals, Bede thought Raihan was pathetic, a loser who would never get out of his cycle of constant failure.

If Bede had been in Raihan’s place, he wouldn’t have had to shake Leon’s hand as the crowd, having seen how easily Leon defeated him, cheered the reigning Champion’s name. He wouldn’t have to know he would repeat the same process every battle and constantly lose. Instead, Bede’s name would be the one echoing throughout the stadium, and everyone across Galar and even the world would watch the new Champion be named.

He would have _won_ if he had been in Raihan’s place.

Bede wondered if there was a young trainer out there watching him right now, as the final attack of the battle hit his Gigantamaxed Hatterene, her screams drowning out the chanting of the crowd. The explosions of her Gigantamax reverting were blinding and powerful, and Bede rushed to cover his eyes with his arm as the blast nearly knocked him off his feet.

Bede wondered if that young trainer was watching as Bede returned his fainted Hatterene to her ball and locked eyes with his opponent across the field, who had recalled her own Pokemon and was resting her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. Bede panting as well, he watched her pull out the elastic holding her ponytail, her brown hair falling to rest on the shoulders of her Champion uniform.

“ _GYM LEADER BEDE IS OUT OF USABLE POKEMON. THE WINNER OF THE BATTLE, AND THIS YEAR’S GALAR LEAGUE CHAMPION CUP, IS YOUR UNDEFEATED CHAMPION, GLORIA!”_

Gloria’s face broke into grin as the stadium erupted. The jumbo screens lit up with close-up feed of Galar’s Champion, waving excitedly towards the crowd as chants of “ _GLORIA! GLORIA!”_ grew deafeningly loud. She turned back towards Bede, sending him a smile that was so sincere and genuinely grateful to him that Bede couldn’t help returning with his own, more reserved grin. Gloria ran over to him, grabbing his hands and pulling them up from his sides.

“Thank you!” she beamed, squeezing his hands softly, “Bede, thank you so much for another awesome battle!”

Bede could see out of his periphery that the stadium’s screen was focused on them, a camera feed that no doubt was also being shown on televisions across the world.

He had taken Raihan’s place.

\----

Traditionally the trainers of the Champion Cup would retire back to their rooms at The Rose of the Rondelands for an extra complementary night. Gym Leaders and the Champion were expected to first give several press releases and interviews after the Cup ended, and Bede was no exception to this, especially as the runner-up.

However, Bede had quickly escaped from the locker room, ignoring the stadium staff attempting to direct him to the press room, and left the stadium through a back exit. He hadn’t left anything in his hotel room (he always traveled light), so he had headed straight to the Flying Taxis and eventually found a cabbie that was willing to take him home to Ballonlea this late.

Losing to Gloria was nothing new to him; he had been doing it for over two years. Everyone knew their story: a bright-eyed girl who had been sponsored by Leon himself and who became strong enough to overtake him, and the disgraced and disqualified challenger who had become a Gym Leader and interrupted the finals of the Champion Cup to face off against her. Their rivalry was famous, and their battles always sold out stadiums and were always the most watched broadcasts. Bede almost never gave interviews or talked to press, especially after a battle with Gloria, which only provided more commotion over the two: Raihan had always had a social media presence and openly talked about his rivalry with Leon, so Bede keeping to himself outside of battles created intrigue.

Bede just didn’t want to talk about Gloria, didn’t want to talk about how he constantly lost to her. If the press wanted to ask him questions about _himself_ , then he wouldn’t pass up the chance to brag a bit about his capabilities. When it came to Gloria, he had nothing to say. He wouldn’t call her a “friend” naturally, but even he had to admit that she knew him better than most people did. Gloria knew that as much losing to her stung, Bede would rather battle her than most people, but no one else needed to know that. No one else needed to know how annoyingly repetitive it was getting to train hard and get so far only to lose once again.

The public could make their own stories up, for as much as Bede cared, and Gloria could speak for herself.

By the time Corviknight touched down in Ballonlea, it was late enough that even the wild Impidimp and Morgrem were asleep. Bede tipped the cabbie for the late-night travel and briefly pet Corviknight’s steel feathers in thanks before they flew away, probably to rest in Stow-on-Side for the night. Bede make a quick stop at the Pokemon Center, healing his team, before heading to the Gym, which was thankfully deserted as Opal, the Gym Trainers, and the stadium staff were in still in Wyndon for the night.

Once safely inside, Bede called out his Hatterene from her Ball. Despite her defeat in his battle against Gloria, she had a smile on her face and let out a soft, happy cry at the sight of her trainer. Bede wrapped his arms around her, pressing a small kiss to her forehead.

“You were amazing,” he whispered, “Thank you for your hard work.”

Hatterene’s small hands appeared from behind her hair and hugged his face back, cooing sweetly, and Bede let out a small chuckle as she rubbed her cheek against his. “Don’t get too mushy,” he teased, petting her hair. Hatterene had been through everything with him, from his short-lived League Challenge to his Gym Leadership, and Bede loved her deeply.

The two made their way to Bede’s bedroom, located on the backside of the stadium. Despite being healed at the Center, Hatterene was still obviously exhausted, and she immediately collapsed on her own bed next to Bede’s, her hair draping across the floor. Bede climbed onto his own bed and opened the window next to him, letting in the midnight breeze.

It was always hard to tell time in Ballonlea, since it was always dark as hell. No sunlight ever snuck through the treetops and they had to rely on man-made lighting and the bioluminescent nature to see. Not many people besides challengers traveled here either; most cabbies couldn’t maneuver their Corviknight through Glimwood Tangle, so not many Flying Taxis offered service to Ballonlea. Especially during the League off-seasons, Bede would only see the same people day after day for months on end. The town was so isolated, and while Bede had softened up to the place since starting his training under Opal, he still couldn’t say he loved living here.

A gigantic, blue mushroom was growing outside his room, and Bede reached out and gently prodded its glowing cap. It shook in surprise, its shine brightening and small, bioluminescent powders filling the air. While Bede had countless issues with Ballonlea, its natural, mystical beauty was never one of them, and the soft glow of its mushrooms and the quiet aura of the forest were comforting.

Bede’s serenity was interrupted when his Rotom phone buzzed from where he had dumped his things on the floor, and before he could react, it floated over to him and opened up a browser window. A live video started playing, and Bede instantly recognized Gloria sitting in the Wyndon Stadium press room. It had been a couple of hours since the end of their match, and Gloria was still wearing her Champion uniform, looking absolutely exhausted. Bede wasn’t surprised that she was still giving interviews this late; it was only natural for there to be plenty of attention for the Champion, especially after winning another Champion Cup.

Bede didn’t really watch Gloria’s interviews anymore; the interviewers would just ask the same questions in different ways. Rotom had probably picked up mentions of his name and felt compelled to share.

“… _not sure exactly what I’ll be up to, but I’m definitely taking it easy this off-season. I’ll have to get back to you on that!”_ Gloria’s voice rang out from the livestream, filling the empty air in Bede’s room. Despite the heavy bags forming under her eyes, her voice sounded as lively as ever, and she still had a smile on her face.

“ _Champion Gloria! Do you have any comments on Gym Leader Bede and why he isn’t with you here tonight?”_ a loud voice rang above the onslaught of other questions.

Gloria shook her head, “ _Guys, I’ve told you a thousand times: I don’t have control over what he does! If he doesn’t want to talk to you, he doesn’t want to talk to you. You gotta move on!”_

Bede laughed at her bluntness. It was probably due to a combination of her tiredness and how often she’s asked about Bede’s disinterest in doing interviews, but he could still appreciate that Gloria handled those questions as dismissively as he would if the situations were reversed. 

“ _Champion Gloria! How often do you see Gym Leader Bede outside of battle?”_

_“Champion, what is your relationship with the Fairy-type Gym Leader?”_

_“Do you know when Gym Leader Bede plans on making his next appearance, Champion?”_

The interviewers were being vicious, picking up on Gloria’s exhaustion and attempting to catch her with her guard down. Bede didn’t know if they were news press or a bunch of tabloid journalists, but quite honestly, he’d bet any news outlet would probably print something if it were about their rivalry.

Gloria laughed nervously and held her hands up in defense. “ _Woah, woah, everyone! Please calm down! I wish I had something juicy to tell you, but I promise it’s not that interesting.”_ A small choir of chuckles rumbled through the interview room.

She placed her hands back down on the table, leaning forward on her elbows. _“I’ve known Bede for a while, and he’s always kept to himself. He’s hardworking though, and I admire that about him.”_

Gloria paused to rest her cheek on her palm and grinned at her audience.

“ _I’m sure he’ll pop up when it’s time to battle again, and I’ll be ready for it! I love our battles a lot and I bet he does too, even though he’d rather get ripped to shreds by his own Mawile than admit it,”_ she snickered.

Bede couldn’t help snickering himself. She knew him well.

Gloria then picked a question about the semi-finalist League challengers and the topic shifted from their rivalry. Taking his phone in his hand, Bede minimized the live video, quickly found Gloria’s number under his contacts, and pulled open his messaging app.

_You've definitely seen better days._

Hitting “send,” Bede opened back up the live feed. After a short delay, the Rotom phone on the table next to Gloria must have beeped, as Gloria casually glanced at it while answering a question about a semi-finalist. It was subtle, but Bede saw Gloria roll her eyes. Her finger swiftly flicked her screen to life, tapping it quietly while the crowd was shouting more questions at her. Once she began speaking again, she put her phone back to sleep.

A moment later, her response popped up on Bede’s screen:

_already have your curlers in? asshole_

Smirking, Bede closed the live stream window and dropped the phone next to him on the bed. He turned his attention back to the world outside his window, resting his head against the frame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave feedback and comments!
> 
> Also feel free to get in touch on my tumblr: https://strategicdilemma.tumblr.com/
> 
> I have no set upload schedule but I'll try my hardest to at least keep it semi-regular. I have a rough outline on how this will play out but I'll be mostly winging it lol


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your nice feedback on the first chapter! I seriously haven't written a multi-chapter fanfic since 2010 so I'm real hype for this.
> 
> I'm aiming to keep these chapters 2000+ words in length, but unless it's really important, one chapter probably won't exceed 4000 words.
> 
> I'm currently on break for the holidays so that's why this update is coming so soon, don't expect this once the holidays are over lol

“Thank you, dear,” Opal said, taking the teacup and saucer from Bede’s offering hands. She slowly lifted the cup to her lips to sip, her hand marginally trembling under the china’s slight weight. A warm smile broke across her face at the taste. “Perfect as always, my boy.”

Opal and the rest had returned from Wyndon early morning, before Bede had even awoken. At 8:15 AM every day, Opal called her protégé to her and the two shared their morning tea. She always took hers the same: two and a half cubes of sugar with exactly one spoonful of milk. Part of Bede’s initial training had involved constantly preparing her tea, each attempt not being good enough, until she was satisfied. In the early days, Bede remembered once having to remake Opal’s tea twenty-six times and he had smashed two cups out of frustration in the process. Nowadays, preparing her order perfectly was almost second nature.

The two sat at a small table on a balcony of the stadium, overlooking the rest of the town. Every half hour or so, a Flying Taxi would touch down returning its passengers home, who no doubt left to watch the Champion Cup. Otherwise, it was a standard, quiet morning. Opal watched a small school of Morelull float out from behind a nearby tree as Bede poured his own tea quietly. He took his black, a learned preference to cope with the specificity of Opal’s order.

He startled a bit at the slight touch of something against his leg. Looking down, he saw Opal’s Alcremie at his feet, looking up at him with wide eyes and her head slightly cocked to the side.

“You battled beautifully yesterday,” Opal said, addressing Bede while still watching the Morelull, which were now resting on a branch.

“Thank you, Ms. Opal,” he replied as he handed Alcremie a sugar cube. She squeaked in delight before popping it in her mouth and making her way back to her trainer’s seat. Opal took another sip of her tea before continuing.

“I’ve heard nothing but praise from your audience. Old Kabu couldn’t stop raving about how you defeated him in the semi-finals.” She placed her cup on the table and folder her hands in her lap. “You should be very proud of yourself, child.”

Opal’s tone was soft and there was a smile on her face, but Bede couldn’t help feeling uneasy. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the compliment; far be it from him to reject the idea that he was one of the best battlers in the League. It was the fact that Opal herself was saying it, with such sincerity and familiarity at that. Bede had always preferred a formal tone when speaking to his mentor. If asked why, he would say that it was an old habit that he kept from before becoming Gym Leader, but truthfully, he found a comfort in the distance it provided. He caught himself thinking back to the days when she barked orders at him, and anytime he angrily spoke back to her, she would not-so-gently whack him with her parasol. He had held so much contempt towards her, to the extent that he nearly quit battling altogether.

He took a sip of his tea. At least back then, his thoughts and feelings were clear. What a simpler time.

“Your words are too kind, Ms. Opal,” he replied. Opal watched him as he spoke. “However, there are still plenty of areas in which I could improve. I am not foolish enough to think believe otherwise.”

Opal nodded sagely at his words. “Well said,” she agreed. She gently rubbed her withered hands before returning them to her teacup. “I take it you’ll be spending your off-season continuing your training, then?”

“Of course. I plan to resume this afternoon.”

Opal let out a soft sigh, tutting underneath her breath. Bede quirked an eyebrow.

“You disapprove?”

Opal turned away from Bede, sipping her tea. She didn’t reply.

Bede frowned.

“What else is there for me to do? I cannot simply sit around and learn to knit in my free time. I don’t think new Gym challengers would appreciate arriving to a bunch of shoddily-made sweaters.”

Opal laughed, her manicured fingers coming up to her lips. “Don’t fret, I never thought that you of all people needed to pick up needlework,” she shook her head. “No, I told you that your life would not be bound by what others say, and I meant that. You are free to do as you please.” She paused to pass another sugar cube to her Alcremie, who took it happily with a small cry. Opal smiled.

“I just urge you to think of your well-being. You have continually worked very hard since becoming my protégé, but you are still so young. I would hate for you to find yourself in a rut so early in your life.” Her gaze was warm, but Bede still felt pinned to his seat by it. “Be sure to have some fun, boy. Once you’re my age, you’ll appreciate it.”

Bede’s discomfort returned. Opal was now 90 years old, but she was still so lively. The other Gym Trainers and she would still go for strolls through Glimwood Tangle, and she could still give Bede trouble in a battle. If there were any adult’s advice worth listening to, it would be hers, and Bede had to admit that he was taken aback at how much her words were affecting him.

A rut.

Bede had first accepted the offer as Gym Leader as a disqualified challenger, a disowned child with nothing better to do, and he decided to continue with it to continue his training, to become a better trainer. Now, he felt stuck; his options as a Gym Leader were limited to maintaining his position until he grew old, quitting and having Opal find a new protégé, or becoming the Champion. He had never had a strong attachment to the title and definitely not to Ballonlea, so the first option wasn’t favorable, and Bede would not even allow himself to even consider early retirement.

That left one option: defeating Gloria and becoming the Champion.

Bede thought of Gloria’s face when the announcer broke her victory to the stadium, how the air was filled with the cheers of her name. Losing to her stung every time, even more so when it was broadcasted across the globe, but Bede willingly put himself in the same position every time. He _had_ to keep training, _had_ to keep challenging her, with the hope that someday things, would be different and he would win.

He wondered if Raihan had felt similar in his position as Leon’s rival; that would explain why he continued the vicious and embarrassing cycle of losing so publicly over and over.

“I appreciate your concern,” Bede finally replied, attempting to keep his tone flat. “I will consider your words carefully, Ms. Opal.”

If Opal had noticed the turmoil happening within her protégé, she didn’t show it. She silently took a final sip before placing her empty teacup and saucer on the table.

“Would you care for another cup, Ms. Opal?”

“Please, dear.”

\----

It was well into the afternoon before Gloria groggily opened her eyes. She pulled on her quilt to shield herself from the sun leaking through the window, but it wouldn’t budge. Turning her head, she saw that Cinderace was stretched across the end of her bed, trapping her sheets beneath him as he breathed peacefully in his sleep. With a groan, she shoved her face into her pillow, her head pounding, _screaming_ at her to fall back asleep.

Gloria had been smart enough to book an extra night at The Rose of the Rondelands, since she knew there was no way she’d be ready before checkout the day after the Champion Cup. She didn’t arrive back to her room until nearly 6:30 AM this morning, having done late night interviews and press releases the moment the Cup had ended, and had just thrown her things across the room haphazardly before crawling into bed.

Cinderace’s ears flicked in his sleep at his owner’s movement, and instinctively his foot kicked and hit Gloria in the side. She let out a curse in surprise, her head whipping around angrily.

“ _Hey!_ ”

Gloria’s voice propelled Cinderace upright, his nose twitching. “I told you!” she lectured, flicking his forehead. “If you’re gonna sleep on the damn bed, no kicking!”

Cinderace let out a sleepy whimper before crawling over and flopping on top of her, pushing an _oof_ involuntarily from her chest. He nuzzled her head as an apology, tickling her with his tufts of fur. Giggling, Gloria picked up his head, rubbing his fuzzy cheeks with her thumbs. “Okay!” she conceded, “I forgive you!” Cinderace grinned in victory, bumping his nose against hers before hopping off her and the bed.

As Cinderace did some stretches in the middle of her hotel room, Gloria turned onto her stomach and tucked a pillow under chin, grabbing her Rotom phone off the nightstand. Powering it on, she was bombarded with numerous missed calls, texts, and notifications sent earlier from people congratulating her on her win. The time read 1:18 PM, and Gloria couldn’t help feeling guilty at sleeping in, even if she had a perfectly reasonable excuse.

Before she could dial anyone back, her phone started vibrating with an incoming voice call, and Leon’s name popped up on her screen. Making herself comfortable, Gloria hit “accept.”

“Hello?”

“ _There she is, the reigning Champ herself! Congratulations!_ ” Leon answered, his lively voice like a shot of espresso through Gloria’s system.

“Thank you, Leon! Did you get a chance to watch it?”

“ _Yes ma’am! One of the Frontier Brains has satellite and we all went to his place and had a blast!”_ Leon was currently abroad visiting the Hoenn Battle Frontier, which just recently reopened after years of construction. Luckily, the Battle Tower didn’t receive many patrons during the League Challenge, so there was no harm done in leaving it for a few weeks. “ _The way you and Cinderace synergize? Oh man, I thought I knew what it was like, but it seems even better than before!”_

Gloria beamed. Even though he was no longer the Champion, she still thought incredibly highly of Leon, and any praise from him made her day. “We’ll have to have a rematch when you get back, then!”

“ _Absolutely! Maybe even two or three!”_ Leon’s excitement was interrupted by a yawn. “ _Sorry about that, it’s late here, sometime after 3:00 AM.”_

“Leon!” Gloria gasped. “Go to bed! Why are you up this late?”

“ _I wanted to congratulate you! And I knew you wouldn’t be awake until about now,”_ he chuckled. “ _I was Champion for a long time, I know how it is.”_

Gloria sighed. She shouldn’t complain about her responsibilities as Champion, she knew that. She was incredibly blessed to be in her position, but more and more she found herself needing to sneak in naps or collapsing out of exhaustion at the end of the day. Public appearances, promotional material, paperwork, League management, meetings, interviews, sponsorships, the whole League Challenge in general, it was all so much. Between matches at the Champion Cup, Gloria even found herself drinking coffee, which was something her mother _still_ wouldn’t let her do when she visited home.

“I’m just tired,” she thought aloud.

Leon laughed through the phone. “ _I feel like you’ve been saying that a lot recently.”_

“Yeah, well it’s been true a lot recently!” Gloria huffed. “I wasn’t made for staying up for 24 hours straight, especially when I’m either battling or talking the entire time.”

“ _Trust me, I get it. But come on, you’re doing great!”_

Gloria sunk into her pillow, her head still hurting from her lack of sleep. She put Leon on speaker phone and plopped the phone on the mattress. “You never seemed tired, though. I swear, I was convinced for a while that you just didn’t _need_ sleep.”

“ _Gloria, I was Champion for_ years _! When I first started, I was constantly running on empty. Like, no matter how much sleep I got or how much water I drank or anything, I was just dead on my feet. I must have been the worst grump in the world!”_

She couldn’t image Leon being drained of energy. Even him yawning was a rare occurrence. “What changed?’”

“ _This was when you and Hop were still little tikes, so you wouldn’t remember, but one year after the League Challenge was over for the season, I snapped and went off-grid. I took Charizard up to the mountains and we camped there for three months, and I didn’t tell anyone.”_

Gloria gasped. “You did not.”

“ _I absolutely did. There were search parties all over the place, news stories that I was missing, people were even going to Postwick and bothering my mum. It was a nightmare, but wow, I had such a brilliant time! Not having to worry about responsibilities and being able to do what I wanted was exactly what I needed, and I came back really refreshed and ready for the world!”_

It was a nice thought, Gloria admitted. Being out in the wild on her own during her League Challenge was one of the best times. She missed camping and cooking curry with her team and finding new Pokemon in the wild. It seemed like she never had time for those things anymore; even in the off-season, there were sponsorships to be negotiated and paperwork to do and meetings to attend. It was as though Gloria had become a salaryman in her teens.

“ _Don’t do what I did!”_ Leon continued, his voice booming through the speaker. “ _I got in a heap of trouble, and I had to do an apology tour for Macro Cosmos and all my sponsors. I ended up paying the search parties as well for wasting their time, so I ate a lot of raw berries for a month to save money.”_

Gloria smirked at the image of Leon sitting under a tree, stuffing his mouth with berries like a Greedent. “Did you ever do it again? Get away from everything, I mean.”

“ _Every few seasons, yeah. Every time, I had to tell people where I was going and promise the Chairman that I would check my phone at least once a day to answer emails. Even now, this Hoenn trip is my first break since opening the Battle Tower. Sure, I’m not relaxing in a hot spring or anything, but at least I’m having fun!”_

Leon yawned again, this one heavier than the last. “ _Alright kid, it’s time for me to call it a night. Hey, congrats again! We’ll catch up at some point when I get back!”_

“Of course! Good night, Leon!”

“ _Good night!”_

Gloria’s phone beeped with Leon hanging up. She turned to Cinderace, who was juggling his Poke Ball with his feet. “What do you think, Cinderace?” she asked. “Would you want to run off somewhere?” Cinderace let out an enthusiastic cry, obviously very approving of the idea. Maybe it would be worth it to plan a camping trip or something at some point. For now, Gloria needed to respond to her waiting notifications, and she opened her messaging app to text those whose calls she missed.

Her conversation with Bede the night before was one of the first in her feed, and she huffed in annoyance. She had been looking forward to talking with Bede yesterday, too. They didn’t see each other very often, and as much as he could be an annoying prick, she did want to catch up with him. Their most recent battle had been incredible; Bede had obviously immensely improved, and she had really wanted to talk to him about it.

Leave it to Bede to run off immediately after the battle was done and then text her that she looked like shit after hours of non-stop press, the _only thing_ he had said to her after the battle. _What a jackass,_ she thought. He did these things just to piss her off, and it made her even angrier that they were working.

Well, if he was just going to run off, maybe she would just have to go after him. A smirk crawled onto her face, an idea forming in her head.

“Hey Cinderace, want to go to Ballonlea?”

Cinderace answered in a confused chirp.

“We’ll have to make a quick stop at the uniform store beforehand!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave feedback and comments!
> 
> Get in touch on Tumblr: https://strategicdilemma.tumblr.com/


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having so much fun fleshing this story out, and this chapter was especially fun to write.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter nearly half as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Even though Bede wanted to start his training immediately, he had taken one look at his full team and decided to postpone it to another day. Everyone seemed especially exhausted from their previous days of rough battles, and the last thing Bede wanted to do was push them too far. Instead, Bede spent the rest of the afternoon taking care of them. After bathing and drying each one of his teammates, he brought them to his bedroom and carefully brushed them, taking some extra time to polish Mawile’s fangs and Rapidash’s horn. He treated them to dinner, made of different flavors of berries to match their preferences. Hatterene and Gardevoir both enjoyed dry foods, and the two seemed to be lost in their own conversation that Bede couldn’t understand. Rapidash and Sylveon were sharing a meal that was sweeter in taste, Sylveon bouncing around in joy while Rapidash ate his more gracefully. That left Mawile, who had always been a bit of a loner, but she seemed content to Bede as she ate her spiced dinner quietly in the corner.

It was relaxing watching them, but Bede couldn’t help feeling impatient at the delay.

Sighing, he rested his head against his knuckles, sitting at his small desk. Even though he was eager, Bede honestly didn’t even know where to begin with training. His team itself were at their highest potential, so it wasn’t a matter of individually training each Pokemon. No, it seemed like it was _him_ that needed to improve, to learn new strategies and get better at adapting to different opponents. It was frustrating, knowing that he was his own hurdle to overcome. It felt like he was letting his team down as a trainer.

A light blue tentacle harshly poked his cheek. Bede followed it back to Hatterene, who was glaring at him out of her periphery while still listening to Gardevoir’s melodic cries. Hatterene was sensitive to his negative emotions, and she obviously didn’t like his train of thought. Bede threw her a smile, lightly poking her tentacle back with his index finger. _Sorry,_ he mouthed silently to her. Satisfied, she withdrew her tentacle and paid full attention to her conversation partner.

A small knock came from the door. “Leader Bede?” a voice called quietly.

Before he could get up from his desk, Sylveon had bounced over to the door and opened it with her ribbons. The Gym Trainer, Theodora, stood in the doorway, surprised by Sylveon but still giving her a small wave.

“I’m sorry to bother you, Leader Bede,” Theodora began, “but you have a visitor.”

Bede quirked an eyebrow. Even though the dark forest surrounding Ballonlea prevented him from seeing it, he knew that the sun was beginning to set at this point. Most of the townsfolk who had wanted to speak to him and compliment his performance in the Cup had done so already. “Who in the world would be visiting me at this hour?” he asked.

Theodora coughed, eyes pointed at the door frame rather than at him. “Your visitor is, um, waiting in the lobby,” she stuttered, and she left without saying another word. _Peculiar old woman,_ he thought. He waited for his team to finish their respective meals before recalling them to their Poke Balls. Taking a moment to straighten his uniform, Bede left his room and made his way down to the lobby.

What he found there baffled him, to say the least.

“Surprise!”

Gloria stood in the lobby with her arms outstretched and a wide grin on her face. She was dressed head-to-toe in a Fairy Gym uniform, pristine and brand new, and even her jacket and sports cap adorned the Fairy logo. Her shorts even sported her trainer number, 227, meaning she paid extra to have the digits embroidered. She kicked her foot out theatrically, her shoes the same pink and blue color as the rest of her. “Wow, you’re still awake! I thought senior citizens tended to go to bed early!”

“What are you _doing_ here?! _”_ Bede hissed, annoyed and very much caught off-guard.

Gloria put her hands behind her back, her grin turning slightly mischievous. “Oh, I just thought I would pay a visit to my favorite old hag. Perhaps say hi to Opal as well.”

“What the hell are you _wearing?_ ”

“Don’t you like it?” She gave a twirl, a hand on her baseball cap as her long hair whipped across her shoulders. “I bought it for the occasion! I think the colors really match my complexion.”

Bede’s jaw was clenched, his shoulder tensed. He really had no intention of seeing Gloria for a while, until he had trained more and was ready to challenge her again, and she had never bothered visiting him before. Now, she was messing around and teasing as though she didn’t defeat him yet again, and Bede couldn’t help feeling patronized. He glared at her, feeling his cool slipping.

“You look _fucking_ absurd,” he growled, “like a toddler trying to dress themselves.”

The cheerfulness dropped from Gloria’s face, and she frowned. “Oh really?” she bit back, stepping into Bede’s space. “That’s funny, because the last time I checked, you wear the _exact same thing._ ” She emphasized each word with a harsh jab to Bede’s sternum.

Bede’s fists tightened at his side. Gloria mockingly put a finger to her chin in thought. “Oh wait!” she exclaimed. “I was wrong, you just wear a _bunched-up dress_ instead! Stealing granny’s clothes? _Now_ who’s the toddler?!”

His face flushed red. He opened his mouth to fight back but before he could, the telltale steps of Opal were approaching. He took a step back and coughed, trying to regain his composure. Before Gloria could react, his mentor appeared from a hallway.

“Ah, Gloria dear! What a pleasant surprise,” Opal greeted, steadily making her way to the two teenagers.

Gloria smiled sweetly, as if she had not just insulted Bede, and pulled Opal into a quick hug. “Hi there, granny! It’s so nice to see you again.”

“Indeed, my girl. I’m afraid we didn’t have much of a chance to speak at Wyndon, did we? I want to congratulate you on your victory, though I’m sure you’ve heard that many times today.” Opal gently pinched Gloria’s cheek while Bede rolled his eyes. If Gloria saw, she ignored it.

“Thank you, Opal! I appreciate it.”

“Of course. Now then,” Opal crossed her arms over her parasol, “what brings you all the way to Ballonlea? I don’t suppose you’ll be taking up residency here during your off-season?”

Gloria giggled, shaking her head. “Sorry, gran, but I actually came here to see Bede.” She turned to him, her disposition much nicer than it had been only a minute earlier. “Have you eaten yet?’

Bede raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “I have not, no.”

The girl extended an open palm to him. “Would you like to have dinner with me?”

_What?_

He stared at her.

Gloria shrugged. “We didn’t get to talk last night, so I thought we could go to Stow-on-Side and grab a bite together. What do you say?”

Bede blinked. Her strategy was to show up out of the blue, mock and ridicule him, and _then_ ask him to dinner? How bold. He scowled and opened his mouth to reject her, but Opal beat him to the punch.

“Well, I think that’s a lovely idea,” Opal said cheerfully, smiling at Bede. “I’m sure Bede would be happy to accompany you, wouldn’t you, dear?”

Bede sputtered. “Now hold on! I did not say—”

_WHACK_

Opal’s parasol knocked Bede in the right calf, causing his leg to buckle and him to stumble. Gloria gasped and Bede gawked at her, but her face did not change. She just merely looked at Bede, expectantly.

After a moment, he sighed, looking at his rival. “Fine. I will have dinner with you.”

The two headed through the front doors, Opal waving them goodbye. Once outside, Bede gave Gloria an unamused look, while she triumphantly grinned at him.

“At _least_ take the hat off,” he said.

She kept smiling. “No, fuck you."

\----

The walk through Glimwood Tangle was uneventful; Gloria wanted to make small talk, but it seemed Bede was more comfortable walking in silence. It was a new experience for her, spending time with Bede without the two of them immediately needing to battle one another. If their encounter hadn’t started off so confrontational, she may have even called it a _pleasant_ experience.

By the time they reached Stow-on-Side, there was only a sliver of sun peaking from atop the mountains, but the streets were brightly lit with lanterns and streetlamps. People were bustling through the marketplace, as a bunch of nighttime food vendors had replaced the goods vendors and were swarmed with hungry customers. Gloria remembered how excited she was when she first experienced the night market while she was completing her League Challenge, and even now she lightly bounced on her feet in anticipation.

Turning towards Bede, she saw that though his expression was flat, his eyes were wide, taking it all in. Gently, Gloria nudged his forearm, turning his attention towards her.

“Shall we?” she asked. He stared at her for a moment before nodding.

As they made their way through the crowd, Gloria caught a few wandering eyes looking at the two of them, and she pulled her cap down slightly to better cover her face. She knew that in a crowd like this, getting recognized as the current Champion would cause hysteria that neither she nor Bede would want to handle. Bede was also wearing his Gym uniform, so hopefully to a stranger, the two of them just looked like the Gym Leader and one of his Gym trainers.

She put her hand on Bede’s shoulder and pulled him down to her, meeting him halfway as she stood on her toes to reach his ear. “Go ahead and find whatever you like!” she yelled over the crowd, and she pointed back the way they came. “We’ll meet at one of the picnic tables near the entrance!”

The two split up, and Gloria ran immediately over to a nearby kabob stand. She didn’t really know anything about Bede’s eating habits, let alone if he had dietary restrictions, so she bought a meat kabob and a vegetable one for him to choose from. On her way back to the entrance, she saw a bakery stand selling Sinnoh pastries and ended up buying a variety pack of six pastries she had never heard of.

Running through the crowd, she spotted Bede near the entrance (the white curls helped in the crowd). He seemed distracted, and as she approached, she noticed a small group of young boys around him. They seemed very excited, and Bede had a warm smile on his face while he was talking to them. One of the boys, a redhead, offered Bede a pen and a League card, which Gloria assumed was Bede’s. Bede handed his takeout box to one of the other trainers to hold and took the pen and card, quickly signing it before handing it back to the boy. They all started yelling excitedly, and Bede took his food back before the three ran off, shouting their thanks and waving goodbye. Bede waved back, shaking his head slightly but still smiling.

Gloria approached him, a knowing smirk on her face. Bede’s smile dropped when he saw her and brushed something imaginary off his face, attempting to cover the pink tinge on his nose.

The two found a picnic table away from the rest of the crowd and quickly sat down. “What did you get?” she asked him.

He opened his takeout box and revealed an enormous amount of fried rice. “The vendor claims that this is for one person, but I find that highly suspect,” he muttered under his breath, poking it with a spoon. Gloria stared starry-eyed at the amount of rice, hoping that she could steal a bite or two. “And you?” Bede asked, resting his elbows on the table. “Did you buy anything especially noteworthy?’”

“I bought these things called ‘poffins?’” she said, pulling out her pastry bag. “Have you heard of them?”

Bede’s interest was piqued, reaching into the bag and pulling out a pink poffin with yellow sprinkles. “Heard of them? Yes, but I’ve never tried one.” He turned it over in his fingers a moment before taking a bite. He chewed thoughtfully, observing the pastry a bit more. “It’s sweet,” he said finally after swallowing. “The sprinkles must be a different flavor; the aftertaste is sour.”

“Huh. Can I try it?”

He nonchalantly handed it to her. “Feel free, I was never a large fan of sweets.”

 _To the surprise of no one,_ Gloria thought, though she kept it to herself. She took a bite of the same poffin and her taste buds were flooded with a sugary sweet flavor. It reminded her of Pecha Berries and how juicy they were. She felt almost emotional at the flavor; it was so nostalgic.

“I could cry, this is so good,” she whispered in awe. Bede quirked an eyebrow, unamused, before pulling another poffin out of the bag. This one was yellow with green sprinkles, and he must have found the taste more favorable, as he kept eating this one after the first bite.

“Is this all? I would hope that the Champion would eat healthier.”

“Would you _please_ shut up?” Gloria snarked, finishing her poffin. She pulled out her other takeout box, showing Bede what was inside. “I got some kabobs. I didn’t know if you eat meat or not, so I got two for you to choose from.”

This caught Bede off-guard; surprise erased his unimpressed expression. “I bought my own meal,” he said obviously, the unsaid _you didn’t need to buy me something_ hanging in the air.

“Well, you don’t need to eat the whole thing if you don’t want. I can always finish it,” Gloria explained, smiling. “I don’t know, think of it as a gift! You know, for giving me a great battle yesterday.”

Bede seemed fairly stunned, blinking dumbly at her, but nevertheless he picked up the veggie kabob and took a bite. Gloria waited patiently until he finally commented “It’s good.” She beamed, picking up Bede’s spoon and taking some of his fried rice. He didn’t comment on it, instead looking around at the marketplace as he chewed.

“I didn’t know any of this was here.”

“Really?” Gloria asked between bites. “I think they do this every night.”

“I don’t often have the chance to emerge from _depths_ ,” he grumbled.

“But still, what about during your League Challenge?”

Bede visibly grew uncomfortable at the question. “I flew city to city in a private taxi, and at night I flew back to Wyndon.”

“Wait, _every_ night?” she asked, incredulously. “You didn’t camp out or stay in a hotel or anything?”

Bede scoffed, taking another bite of his kabob. “A few nights in a hotel, of course, but I surely never slept in a tent.”

“What?? Did you ever spend time _not_ in a city?”

“Not unless it was necessary.” He didn’t elaborate further and continued to eat.

Gloria was dumbfounded; exploring the routes and the wildlife had been _the best_ part of her time as a challenger. She couldn’t imagine what her time would have been like if she was routinely just _flying_ from city to city instead of naturally finding her way there. “You missed out on so much,” she said, accidentally thinking out loud and immediately blushing in embarrassment after she said it.

Bede huffed at her reaction with an amused smirk, finishing off his kabob and dropping the skewer on the picnic table. “You might be right,” he said, turning his head back towards the crowd. “I at the very least missed out on this. Perhaps I would have a stronger attachment to this place if I had done a traditional League Challenge.” He shrugged, stealing his spoon back from Gloria’s hand. “ _C’est la vie_ , I believe is the Kalosian phrase.”

Gloria could only stare. She thought back to her conversation with Leon, about how he had run off to the mountains on his own and had the time of his life. Literally earlier that day, she had thought about how wonderful that sounded.

_Don’t._

She had considered just camping somewhere for a week or so, but if she thought more about it, _every_ part of Galar was beautiful, and she wanted to see it all.

_Don’t do it._

_Don’t you dare._

Bede noticed her staring off into space. “Lost in thought, huh? Nice change of pace,” he snickered at his own joke, spooning more fried rice into his mouth.

Gloria took a deep breath.

_Fuck it._

She slammed her hands down on the table. “Let’s go see it!”

Bede jumped, letting out a squeak and choking on his food. “Are you bloody mad?!” he asked between fits of violent coughing. “See what? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Everything! The mountains, the forests, the routes, all of it!” She leaned forward on her palms, her eyes shining bright.

“Bede, let’s travel Galar together!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:3
> 
> I love reading your comments, also get in touch on my Tumblr: https://strategicdilemma.tumblr.com/


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your feedback has been so absolutely sweet and I'm so glad you all are enjoying this. Thank you so much for already getting this to 1K hits, we still have so much ground to cover!

Bede blinked, utterly perplexed at his rival. She had leaned well into his space, her face beaming with excitement, and Bede found it more than a little unnerving.

“What are you on about?” he asked, dumbfounded.

Gloria bounced lightly on her palms. “Bede, think about it! We could go across the entire region and see everything that you missed on your Gym Challenge! We could camp out underneath the stars and make curry and see everything that Galar has to offer!”

Somehow, Gloria elaborating still didn’t help his confusion. Maybe it was the genuine giddiness that was emanating from her or the sheer absurdity of her offer, but Bede had a hard time processing her words. His eyes darted to her Fairy Gym cap, and without thinking he yanked it down over her eyes.

“Hey!” she yelped, jumping back off his side of the table.

“Do you even hear yourself speak?” Bede asked, more relaxed after she left his personal space. “Or do just like spouting inane nonsense?”

“Don’t be a _jerk_!” she snapped a little too loudly, fixing her hat. Her outburst caused a few people from nearby tables to glance at them, and Gloria quickly pulled her jacket collar up to partially conceal her face. This didn’t go unnoticed by Bede.

“Look,” Gloria sighed, speaking more quietly, “this is something I’ve sorta been thinking about, and it would be really nice to _actually_ take a break this off-season and go do something fun. I loved exploring Galar, and I really haven’t been able to do it since becoming Champion. I’m tired, you know? I want a change.”

Bede raised an eyebrow. Of course, he didn’t know all the ins and outs of being Champion, but he assumed that she spent her off-season just as preoccupied as he did, though she probably didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. It made sense that she would want a break, but it wasn’t that part of her logic that he had an issue with. “I fail to see how I play a role in this fantasy of yours.”

Gloria waved her hands helplessly. “I don’t know! You just said you didn’t get to do all the fun exploring stuff as a Challenger. I thought we could kill two Pidoves with one stone here.” She furrowed her brows and started pouting. “Sorry if I assumed you wanted to do something _fun_ for once.”

Bede closed his eyes and took a deep breathe. She had already gotten him worked up once this evening, he didn’t want to give her the pleasure of doing it again. “ _Some_ of us,” he replied, “have to spend our off-seasons _training_ and don’t have time for vacations.” _That’s not something you’d understand_ , he wanted to add, but refrained. “It’s not a matter of what we _want_ to do.”

Gloria didn’t reply. Her gaze was sympathetic, which somehow Bede found _more_ annoying that her pouting. He took another bite of his fried rice as Gloria picked up another pink poffin from the pasty bag, squishing it between her fingers and absentmindedly pulling it apart, her mind preoccupied.

Suddenly, she gasped, and her face lit up again.

“What if we made it a competition?”

“A competition?” he echoed. “Are you referring to a race?”

She shook her head, a smile blooming across her cheeks. “We each start off our trip with one Pokemon, right? And then we catch and train a brand new team while we explore Galar, and at the end, we have a battle!” She excitedly popped the abused poffin in her mouth, the taste causing her grin to grow wider. “That way, you could still train while we explore!”

Bede cocked his head skeptically. “How do you consider that ‘training?’”

Gloria rested her head in her palm, her voice thoughtful. “Well it’s hard, isn’t it? Training a new Pokemon that doesn’t know you and doesn’t know what it’s like to be not in the wild. Isn’t that why we like to stick to our usual teams? Because they know us, and we know them? I try to at least have a new team member each season, but I still like using my core team, too.” She let out a small giggle. “It takes hard work to train something new, and it really shows just how strong a trainer is when they can do it. If we each make a new team, we would be training _ourselves_ , and that makes more of a difference than training the same Pokemon over and over, don’t you think?”

Bede blinked.

This girl was a _fucking menace_.

Not only had she consistently defeated him on live television for years, but she had shown up to his Gym, his isolated home, and dragged him out to a market he didn’t even know existed. _Now_ she was talking about training _himself_ instead of training his Pokemon, something he had been thinking about only an hour or so earlier? He almost felt violated, like she was reading his thoughts and was exposing them without his consent. It made him furious, and he wanted to snap at her and say he didn’t _need_ her help or her opinions. He wanted to tell her that she _should_ run away to whatever dream vacation she thought of, just so he could get some _damn peace of mind_ for once.

“I don’t even _like_ you,” he hissed, desperately trying to retain composure. “Why would I even _want_ to spend that time with you?”

Gloria’s face dropped, taken aback. “Well, I hope that’s not true,” she said. “I mean, I know we’re rivals and all, but you’re still my friend.”

_Friend._

Bede slammed the cover of his takeout shut, tucking it up under his arm and standing up from the table in one motion. He grabbed a green poffin from the bag and held it tightly in his fist. “You’re sadly mistaken,” he growled, lifting his leg over the bench to leave.

A hand grabbed his arm tightly, keeping him from leaving. He glared at her.

Gloria was obviously hurt by his comment, but her face was soft, and it made his blood boil. “Just, I don’t know, just consider it, okay? Think it over for a bit?”

His eyes traveled to her cap once again, and with two fingers, he ripped it off her head, her hand letting go of his arm in a reflex as she tried to stop him.

“No,” he replied, and he turned and began walking away.

Feeling her stare on his back, he gingerly placed the Gym cap on his own head and held his hand to his mouth.

“HEY,” he shouted, his voice echoing around the marketplace, “IS THAT THE CHAMPION OVER BY THE PICNIC TABLES?!”

A silence fell across the busy street, until a chorus of violent shouts started. Bede could hear the rumble of feet vibrate against the ground as people started running past him towards the tables, and he could swear he heard Gloria shout his name over the crowd.

He took a bite of the green poffin, the bitter flavor filling his mouth, and he made his way towards Glimwood Tangle.

\----

Bede didn’t really like being angry; perhaps it was the side effect of having a Hatterene, but he didn’t gain much from feeling angry. When he could still feel his heart pounding in his chest after nearly making it back to Ballonlea, he turned off the path and made his way deeper into the forest. He needed to calm down.

He had no reason for getting so worked up back in Stow-on-Side, and his resonant anger was mostly directed at himself for allowing himself to lose his cool over something so small. There was nothing inherently wrong with what Gloria was saying, and truth be told he liked her reasoning behind the proposed trip and competition. However, he was uncomfortable with the idea of her inviting him along simply because he hadn’t seen most of the region, as well as the implication that she had done so because she viewed him as a friend.

They _weren’t_ friends; they didn’t do anything besides fight each other, and Bede had not been excited to see her.

Coming to a small clearing, Bede sat down against a tree, crossing his legs on the ground. He placed his takeout on his lap, opened it, and continued to eat his meal. It had lost some of its warmth since he left, but Bede still found it absolutely delicious. All of the food there was delicious; he rarely ate anything that wasn’t made by himself, and on the surface level, the veggie kabob he had eaten and the fried rice were simple meals. However, the taste was so elaborate and well-crafted that it had genuinely shocked him. The fact that he had been living in Ballonlea for over two years and had never even known about the night market was upsetting, to say the least. He really needed to leave Ballonlea more.

The quiet noises of the forest provided a background for the beautiful nature surrounding him, and Bede felt him relax as he took in the scene. If he were honest, he really had been enjoying himself in Stow-on-Side. A group of trainers had approached him while he had been waiting for Gloria and they had been so genuinely happy to see him that Bede was more than willing to sign their versions of his League card. He also couldn’t help being slightly moved by how Gloria had shared her food with him, even though he had bought his own meal. He hadn’t even thought of doing something like that, but Gloria had done it without hesitation.

His thoughts were interrupted by a nearby mushroom growing brighter, bioluminescent powders floating off it. Suddenly, a wild Morgrem ran into the clearing, stopping a moment to catch his breath, before two Impidimp burst out behind him and tackled him to the ground. Morgrem snarled, kicking one Impidimp off and slashing at the other. The second Impidimp dodged his slash, biting into the arm of the larger Pokemon. Morgrem yelped, but before he could push the Impidimp off, the first one that he had kicked off jumped onto him again, slashing at his face with his tiny claws.

Bede watched them, not knowing whether he should intervene or not. He had never seen wild Pokemon fight each other before. The Morgrem did his best to fight back against the Impidimp, but the two quickly overpowered him, both holding his shoulders down. Morgrem struggled a bit before stilling, and Bede inwardly panicked. However, after a moment of silence, a small chuckle erupted from Morgrem’s throat. The Impidimp started giggling themselves, letting go of Morgrem and letting him sit up. One of them jumped into the arms of Morgrem, the two hugging, while the other apologetically licked the bite mark on Morgrem’s arm. Morgram briefly patted the Impidimp’s head before also pulling him into a hug, the three Pokemon laughing.

Bede sighed in relief, not realizing he had been holding his breath. This caught the attention of the three Pokemon, but instead of running away, they looked at him curiously. One of the Impidimp jumped from Morgrem’s arms and cautiously approached Bede, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air. He came up to Bede’s legs, gently resting one tiny, pink hand on Bede’s knee as he sniffed at Bede’s food. His ears were twitching in interest.

Bede placed the food on the ground, his actions causing the small Pokemon to jump slightly but not run away. “Help yourself,” he said gently, folding his hands in his lap. Impidimp placed his hands on the container, nearly sticking his nose in the rice as he sniffed at it. Carefully, his small hand took a handful and he licked it. Deeming it safe to eat, he stuck his hand in his mouth, and he smiled happily, his eyes widening at the taste. He quickly stuffed his mouth with another handful of rice and excitedly cried out to the Morgrem and other Impidimp, who had been watching from a distance.

The other Impidimp quickly ran over and started messily eating with his twin, while the Morgrem took his time. He watched the smaller Pokemon a moment before grabbing his own handful of fried rice, eating it much more calmly. Smiling, the large Pokemon shot Bede a grateful look, letting out a soft, happy cry.

Bede stared back. Without thinking, he slowly reached his hand out to the Morgrem, letting it rest in the air as he hesitated. The Pokemon met Bede halfway, gently nudging his hand with his head and letting Bede gently pet his hair. Morgrem seemed to purr at the touch, and Bede’s heart was beating heavily in his chest, this time not due to anger.

He had never interacted with a wild Pokemon like this. Bede had always assumed that wild Pokemon were easily frightened and he had just battled and captured them without much extra thought. However, the ease of which these Pokemon had approached him and even let him touch them was astounding, and Bede was captivated. He had known the Impidimp line was typically unfazed by humans, often stealing their things and playing pranks on them, but this was something else. He gently brushed Morgrem’s hair with his fingers, marveling at how much softer it felt than it looked, and with his other hand he gently patted the head of one of the Impidimp. The small Pokemon paused his eating slightly at the touch but didn’t stop what it was doing, barely paying attention to Bede.

Morgrem eventually pulled away, sending an appreciative smile his way before not-so-gently swatting at the two Impidimp. The two Pokemon stumbled backwards away from the takeout container, its contents nearly finished, and Morgrem directed them towards a nearby bush. The two Impidimp immediately scurried away with mischievous chuckles, bumping into a nearby mushroom and causing it to glow brighter before disappearing into the underbrush.

“Wait,” Bede said before Morgrem could follow them. He pulled Gloria’s cap off his head and handed it to the Pokemon. Morgrem’s eyes lit up, happily accepting Bede’s offer and placing the brim of the hat in his mouth. He threw Bede one final wave before rushing off into the bush and leaving Bede alone.

Bede sat frozen for a moment, his mind racing. When was the last time he had even _seen_ a wild Pokemon? Opal had provided him with his Mawile, Ralts, and Eevee when he had originally started her boot camp, and he already had his Rapidash and Hatterene before then. Had he even caught something new since becoming a Gym Leader?

_I would hate for you to find yourself in a rut so early in your life._

Opal’s words had hit him hard that morning, and even now they stabbed at his brain. He really was in a rut, wasn’t he? Not only was he stuck overworking and overtraining to try to beat Gloria and have things change in his life, but he barely left the town he disliked so much and apparently didn’t know anything about the region he lived in, including its Pokemon.

Bede pulled his Rotom phone out of his pocket. He had put it on silent, and sure enough he had several missed calls from Gloria. Before he could hit the button to call her back, his screen lit up with another incoming call from her. He gently pressed “accept” and held the phone up to his ear.

“Hello?”

“ _THERE YOU ARE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!”_ Gloria’s furious screams rattled Bede’s eardrums through the phone. “ _I SWEAR TO GOD, THE NEXT TIME I FUCKING SEE YOU, I’M GOING TO THROTTLE YOUR NECK SO HARD, YOUR FUCKING FACE TURNS BLACK AND WILD WOOLOO TRY HUMPING YOUR FUCKING SKULL!!!”_

Bede allowed Gloria to continue her enraged (and explicitly descriptive) ranting for a minute, realizing he probably deserved it for not only storming off but setting the entire night market on her. She had done nothing wrong and Bede had just allowed himself to get angry for no reason. Maybe he really was the child out of the two of them.

“I’ll do it,” he finally interrupted, and the line went silent.

“ _Huh?”_ Gloria asked, her confused voice much calmer.

He could feel his stomach churn. He was nervous. “The trip, the competition, I’ll do it. With you, I mean.”

“ _Wait, are you serious?_ ” Bede could hear the energy pick up in her voice. “ _You’ll really do it?”_

“Yes, I’m serious.”

“ _What happened? You were so against it like an hour ago!”_

Bede thought over his words. “I want a change,” he said finally. “I’m tired, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Impidimp and his line are ugly goblins and I love them so much.
> 
> Tumblr: https://strategicdilemma.tumblr.com/


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUGH this chapter took FOREVER to write
> 
> Not only did I write, scrap, and rewrite so much of this over and over, but I also got really sick halfway through. I'm absolutely cursed
> 
> I hope you enjoy it, nonetheless, I tried so hard lol

The next week following their phone conversation were spent tying loose ends. Gloria in one of her meetings informed the League committee that she would be taking some time off, which had gone over much more smoothly than she expected. Like Leon had said, the League had asked her to keep an eye on her emails and phone in case they needed her, and they also asked that she hold a small press release to announce her vacation, but otherwise they told her that they would handle matters while she was gone.

Bede also spent his time preparing. Most Gym Leaders closed their Gyms in the off-season anyway (Nessa had already closed hers and left for Castelia City Fashion Week), so Bede had no need for formal announcements. His tasks were more towards gathering supplies. Gloria had told him that they would be sharing her camping equipment, so he only needed to worry about his personal belongings. He had been forced to buy a sleeping bag online, but he managed to find a spare backpack (with the Fairy Gym logo, of course) in a supply closet for the stadium store.

Opal had been delighted to hear of their trip, and she had assured him that the Gym would be perfectly fine without him. “It wouldn’t be the first time this gym has been left to fend for itself,” she had joked with him over their morning tea. When he asked for what she had meant by that, she merely laughed to herself and had said, “My dear, I have been wreaking havoc in this region for nearly a century. It’s high time you take your turn.”

Gloria and Bede had also worked over the logistics of their trip itself over several phone calls. Gloria had proposed they begin at the bottom of the region in Postwick and work their way up to Wyndon. “No Flying Taxis, no trains, and no bikes,” Gloria had said. “We can stop in towns and cities for food and supplies, but no staying overnight in any hotels or Pokemon Centers.” Bede had begrudgingly accepted; while he really couldn’t imagine enjoying sleeping in a tent every night for however long this adventure took, he also realized that it was useless arguing with her. It was _Gloria’s_ trip, and he was just being dragged along for the ride, his own comfort levels be damned.

In terms of their small competition, Gloria stuck by her original proposal of them each bringing along one Pokemon to start. Naturally, Gloria had chosen her Cinderace and Bede his Hatterene, which neither had a problem with. There were no restrictions on what they could or couldn’t catch, as long as they had a full team by the end of their trip, but Gloria had made clear that neither were allowed to have a team of just _one_ type. “It’s about branching out!” she had insisted.

Bede had accepted her rules on the condition that they held their battle in Wyndon’s stadium. “No press, no crowds,” were his terms. Gloria had agreed.

During her press release, Gloria had surprisingly not taken questions, which surprised even Bede. She almost always allowed press to ask questions, so her secrecy about the nature of her vacation had caused a massive uproar of theories and rumors. One tabloid published a conspiracy article about how she was traveling to Hoenn to take up residency as a member of the Elite Four or as a Frontier Brain, citing Leon’s recent trip there as evidence. Fans on social media had taken this theory and ran with it, digging up old interviews of Gloria mentioning Hoenn offhandedly and candid photos of her with Pokemon native to the Hoenn region.

If Gloria had been bothered by the speculation, she never expressed it. Bede personally had found it more amusing than anything. The public really _could_ make up their own stories.

It seemed Gloria was determined to remain utterly ecstatic over the trip. Even when they coordinated over text, Bede could tell that she couldn’t wait to get started. In terms of Bede’s feelings, they were complicated, to say the least. If he were to be honest, he had no real excitement over exploring the region nor did he particularly want to spend a lot of time with Gloria. It was more about doing something _different_ ; maybe the competition would better train him, which he could admit he needed, but he hoped that maybe just doing something different would make him _feel_ better. He didn’t know _how_ it would, but what he had been doing for the past two years wasn’t working, so he was willing to try anything at this point.

All of this led up to the night before they were set to leave. Bede had planned on staying in the Gym, but Gloria had called him, inviting to stay the night in Postwick so they could get an early start.

“ _Hop and Sonia are gonna come over too! And they’re gonna help Mum make dinner and we’ll have one big feast before we go!”_

Bede froze. If they had been together in person, Gloria would have seen the color drain from Bede’s face.

 _“_ Your mother?” he asked.

“ _Yeah, she’s already started baking some bread and oh man, Bede, wait until you try it! It’s so light and fluf_ —”

“I’ll be meeting your _mother_?” he asked again. He could hear the panic rise in his own voice. Gloria must not have noticed because her reply was a casual laugh.

“ _Well duh! You kinda have to meet her if you’ll be sleeping in her house!”_

Bede pulled the phone away from his ear and took a deep breathe in an attempt to keep himself under control. To say he was uncomfortable with spending time with Gloria and her mother would be the understatement of the _fucking century_. Parents were obviously a sensitive topic for him; he didn’t remember much about his own parents, but he remembered them walking away, abandoning him as he cried after them to come back. As he breathed deeply, he let his mind drift, his thoughts flashed between the orphanage, Rose Tower, Macro Cosmos, Chairm—

Bede choked on air and started violently coughing.

No, he wasn’t touching that. Not in this lifetime.

Bede’s gut reaction was to reject the offer completely, tell Gloria that it was out of the question and curse her out for even suggesting it. However, even Bede had known that such a response was uncalled for and frankly unacceptable. It seemed Gloria didn’t find the situation to be a big deal, and he certainly was not going to make it one. The last thing he needed was to have another breakdown in front of her over nothing.

“Order me a Flying Taxi from Ballonlea, and I’ll accept,” he finally replied.

“ _Deal!”_

About a half-hour later, Corviknight touched down in front of the Gym. Opal and the rest of his Pokemon staying behind decided to seem him out. Sylveon had jumped into his arms and hugged him with her ribbons, and Rapidash gently nudged Bede with his head until Bede stroked his mane. Mawile and Gardevoir were more composed, but Bede still took the time to give each of them a bit of affection, assuring them that he wouldn’t be gone long.

Bede had tried to leave his goodbye to Opal at a short bow, retaining formality, but Opal took it upon herself to pat his white curls, her nails gently scratching his scalp. “Enjoy yourself, my dear,” she said sweetly, and Bede blushed and felt a warmth in his chest. His uneasiness with her affection was still there, but Bede found himself standing straight, taking her old hand delicately between his.

“Don’t go anywhere before I get back,” he said. He worded it like a demand, but Bede noticed that it came off more as a plea. The implications of his words were left unsaid, but both knew what he meant.

Opal chuckled, patting the top of his hand holding hers. “You don’t have to worry yourself about _that_ , boy,” she assured him, her thumb stroking his skin. It was such a simple moment, but Bede felt overwhelmed by it. His throat clenched, he only nodded at her words, releasing her hands.

He waved one last goodbye to her and his team before leaving the Gym and directing the cabbie to Postwick. In his seat, he wiped at his blurring eyes and let out a heavy, shaky sigh through his nose.

\----

Bede had a welcoming party waiting for him when he arrived in Postwick consisting of Gloria, Cinderace, Hop, and Sonia. Gloria and Cinderace ran up to greet him as his cabbie and Corviknight flew away, with the rest following behind. Gloria’s hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was wearing a white tee and black jeans with an oversized, satin varsity jacket. Bede couldn’t remember the last time he saw her in street wear; it made him feel overdressed in his own outfit, which consisted of a black turtleneck and some casual trousers.

“You made it!” she exclaimed. She was almost glowing, excitement radiating off her in waves. Cinderace let out a cry next to her as a greeting as well, his ears flopping.

Before he could respond, Hop had joined them and pulled Bede into a bearhug that hoisted him off the ground, crushing his arms against his sides and cracking something in his back. “Bede, mate, how’re you doing? It’s been a while, man!” he said, his loud voice ringing in Bede’s ear.

Bede wheezed in response, struggling to breath. He had not missed Hop.

Hop let go of him later than Bede would have liked and eyed him up and down. “Man, look at you, dressing all fancy.” He rested his hands behind his head, chuckling. “Must be quite the occasion, huh?”

Bede rolled his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself. These are just the clothes I own.”

Sonia stepped in front of her assistant. “Well, I think they look very nice,” she smiled, offering her hand out to him. “It’s good to see you, Bede.”

Bede took her offer, shaking her hand with a small nod. “It’s good to see you, too, Professor.” A small bark drew his attention downward to Sonia’s Yamper, who has been sniffing Bede’s shoe and was now frantically wagging his tail and jumping onto Bede’s leg. He barked again excitedly, and Sonia giggled.

“It looks like he likes you!” she said. “You can pick him up if you want.”

Bede blinked, looking down at the small Pokemon pawing at his leg. As he watched Yamper pant with a big smile on his face, he was reminded of his encounter in the forest with Morgrem and the Impidimp. Carefully, he bent down and picked the creature up. He was slightly heavier than Bede was expecting, but Bede shifted his grip to make it comfortable for both of them. Yamper’s fur was short but Bede was surprised to find it still so fluffy as he gently scratched underneath Yamper’s chin. Yamper licked his hand in appreciation and rested his head in Bede’s palm.

Bede allowed himself a small smile. “Hmm,” he mused. “I suppose you could say I like him as well.”

Sonia and Gloria shared a pleasantly surprised look.

“There you go, mate!” Hop’s hand forcefully hitting his shoulder caused Bede to jolt forward and Yamper to yelp in surprise. “Looks like your ol’ gran got you to soften up a bit!”

Bede fixed his hold on Yamper before shooting Bede a harsh glare. He _really_ had not missed Hop.

Hop laughed, waving away Bede’s look. “Don’t kid yourself, you would have never agreed to _any_ of this before! A cross-region backpacking trip? With _Gloria?_ ”

Gloria kicked Hop in the shin. “Don’t say it like it’s a _bad_ thing!” she pouted, “You did it before, sorta!”

Bede rolled his eyes while Hop held up his hands apologetically. He looked down at the Pokemon in his arms, now softly stroking along Yamper’s snout and head with the pads of his fingers.

“I have my motives,” Bede said quietly.

Hop grinned. “ _And_ you’re doing dinner with the whole family? Now _that_ I never thought you’d agree to! Though, hey,” he paused to lay a hand on Bede’s shoulder, which Bede immediately frowned at, “if, y’know, you need to step out tonight for any reason, just let me know and I got you, alright?”

Bede raised an eyebrow at Hop, challengingly, while Gloria furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “Why would he need to step out?” she asked.

Hop’s disposition became awkward as he shrugged. “Well, like if he gets, I dunno, uncomfortable or something?”

“Uncomfortable?” Gloria echoed, her confusion remaining.

 _Ah, so she forgot,_ Bede thought, as Hop himself became more uneasy as he danced around trying to explain things to Gloria. Bede rolled his eyes. Certainly, things would go no where with this boy spluttering about, and the sooner the evening began, the sooner it would end.

Bede sighed.

“Your friend is insinuating that I’ll be distraught at eating dinner with specifically your mother,” Bede paused to throw Hop a look, “seeing as I am an _orphan._ ”

The air between them was filled with dead silence. The only ones not seemingly bothered by the situation were Cinderace, who had started juggling some pebbles nearby, and Yamper, who had started squirming in Bede’s arms, ready to play. Sonia had quietly cleared her throat, looking at the sky as she nervously twirled her hair. Hop gaped at Bede, his mouth sputtering as he tried to say something but nothing coming out. Gloria also stared at Bede, her whole face slowly becoming sickly pale. Bede could have laughed at how ridiculous they all looked, but he kept it to a haughty smirk.

“I _assure_ you,” Bede continued, placing Yamper back onto the ground, “that no such assistance will be required.” He went to smooth out the wrinkles on the front of his turtleneck, but Gloria’s fists grabbed it before he got a chance. The color had returned to her face in the form of a deep red, and she was already speaking before Bede’s brain started processing.

“ _OhmygodBedeI’msososososososorryI’msofuckingdumbIcompletelyforgotIcan’tbelieveIforgotifyoudon’twanttodothisthatiscompletelyfinewecandosomethingelseIcanmakesomelas—_ ”

Bede grimaced, pushing Gloria’s hands off him. People seemed quite keen on _touching_ him tonight, for some reason.

“Stop babbling already, I already told you that I would be fine,” Bede sighed, actually smoothing out his shirt this time. “Though I’m not sure how you expect me to have dinner with your mother by standing out here in the street.”

Sonia stepped in, breaking the tension. “Yes, your mother must be waiting for us!” she said, softly putting her hand on the top of Gloria’s head. “Shall we?”

The silence was gone as they walked to Gloria’s house, the three locals engaged in conversation. Bede decided to fall a few steps behind to look around. The sun was beginning to set, and it bathed the fields around them in an orange hue. Bede had never been this far south of Motostoke; he had heard it was nothing but country and farm towns, and this seemed to fit the description. He could see a herd of Wooloo make their way across a nearby field back to their farmhouse, and Bede had to admit it was amusing watching the balls of wool roll across the horizon. He imagined that Gloria, Hop, and even Leon had peaceful upbringings here, which did not explain how all three of them ended up being some of the _least_ peaceful beings that Bede knew.

Once they reached the small cottage that Bede assumed to be Gloria’s home, a small group of Budew were waiting in the lawn. As they walked up the steps, the Budew sang out and waddled back and forth in place.

The front door opened. An older woman wearing denim overalls and glasses appeared in the doorway, her brown hair pulled into a loose ponytail over her shoulder. Her face looked _exactly_ like her daughter’s, and Bede was at a loss for words as Gloria ran up to her.

“Sorry to make you wait, Mum!” Gloria apologized.

Her mother shook her head and smiled. “You’re right on time, dinner is just about finished!” Her mother looked over the rest of the group before her gaze fell onto Bede, and Bede started panicking.

“Oh, you must be Gym Leader Bede!” she said, walking over to him with her hands clasped together. “I’ve heard so much about you!” Small wrinkles formed around her eyes as her smile _— Gloria’s_ smile _—_ spread across her whole face.

Bede caught in his periphery Hop and Gloria sharing a look, and his annoyance at their previous debacle snapped Bede out of his fight-or-flight mode. No, this _wasn’t_ a big deal, he _didn’t_ need anyone’s help, and he was _not_ about to give Hop the satisfaction of assuming Bede’s dilemma _correctly_.

Bede offered out a hand to Gloria’s mother, his expression softening.

“Truly, the pleasure is mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're SO close to getting things going!!!!
> 
> Tumblr: https://strategicdilemma.tumblr.com/


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is fun to write, fam. Last chapter was rough, but luckily it hasn't killed the joy I have writing this story.
> 
> Not much happens in this chapter, but it's called a slow burn for a reason.

Dinner had gone surprisingly smoothly, in Gloria’s opinion. Her mother had prepared more than enough food and if it weren’t for Hop’s endless pit of a stomach, Gloria would have sworn that they wouldn’t have been able to eat it all. Gloria’s mother sat at the head of the table, with Sonia and Gloria to her left and Bede and Hop to her right. Bede had seemed a bit stiff through the first part of dinner, not saying anything, and Gloria could have sworn that he jumped in his seat when her mother gently laid her hand on top of his.

“Bede, I have to tell you. I’ve been watching you battle for a few years now, and you are just a _joy_ to watch!” she gushed, her cheeks pink in embarrassment. Bede blinked at her, his eyes darting to her hand on top of his, before his face softened.

“I’m flattered, ma’am,” he replied. Gloria’s mom put her hand to her cheek and laughed.

“I was a fan of Opal for years, and you are definitely her protégé! You battle so much like her, but with your own special flair, I suppose!”

Gloria could see Bede’s ego take over, and she rolled her eyes as Bede smirked. “You’re too kind to me,” he said. His voice was dripping with charm, and it nearly ruined Gloria’s appetite.

Her mother continued her praise of Bede throughout their meal, which Bede continued to snobbishly enjoy, his initial nerves having seemingly vanished. Hop joined in on the discussion, throwing his own compliments in between stuffing his mouth, which was met with much less appreciation from Bede. Hop didn’t seem to mind though.

Gloria and Sonia had their own side-conversation going, Sonia discussing the happenings in academia and the breakthroughs in her own research.

“How’s Hop been?” Gloria asked quietly, trying not to catch Hop’s attention.

“Oh, he’s good!” Sonia smiled, responding just as quietly. “He’s a great help, but to be honest, I’m a bit worried about him.” She paused to rest her head on her chin. “He’s getting a bit of cabin fever being in the lab all the time; I can tell he wants to get out there and do more. I think I’ll have him tag along to my conference next month in Alola, and hopefully that will help.”

 _So Hop’s getting restless, too_ , Gloria thought. Maybe it was just a teenager thing that happened at their age? It would explain how the three of them—Gloria, Bede, and now Hop—seemed to all be feeling the same thing.

The sun was just barely in the sky when they finished eating, and Hop and Cinderace ran out to enjoy the last bits of sunlight, dragging Bede out with them. Gloria had planned on helping clean up, but Sonia had waved her away. “Go have fun, I’ll help your mother,” she said, patting Gloria on the shoulder.

When she caught up with the boys, Cinderace and Hop were already having a standoff in the field behind her cottage, hands locked together as the two wrestled one another. Gloria knew Cinderace was holding back, but he still looked like he was enjoying himself. Bede was leaning against a stone wall, halfheartedly watching them but he seemed to be more interested in his surroundings.

“Hey, you,” Gloria greeted him as she hopped up onto the stone wall next to him, catching his attention. Bede greeted her with a small “hmph” and a nod, but otherwise said nothing. Gloria pulled her ponytail out and lightly tousled her hair back into its natural shape. “Did you have a good time tonight?” she asked.

Bede shrugged, watching as Cinderace kicked Hop’s leg out from underneath him and knocked him on his back. “Dinner was good,” he said plainly. “Your mother is very much like you.”

Gloria laughed. “She’s a big nerd, but she was really excited to meet you! Where did you learn to charm old ladies?” Playfully, she nudged Bede’s arm with her elbow. “Opal really got you taught, huh?”

Bede rolled his eyes and pushed away her elbow, though there was no real force behind it. “I’ve learned to survive, one could say.”

“Well, I’m glad you came,” Gloria giggled.

A comfortable silence filled the air between them. Gloria absently swung her legs in the air as she watched Hop attempt to get the upper hand over her fallen Cinderace before the Pokemon’s strong foot knocked Hop off. Hop stumbled backwards and Cinderace quickly got back onto his feet, bouncing agilely on his toes as he waited for his opponent to ready himself.

Gloria felt a pair of eyes, and she turned to see Bede watching her. He seemed deep in thought, but his gaze felt piercing and Gloria squirmed under it.

“What is it?” she asked.

“You’re in high spirits, I noticed,” he replied.

Gloria cocked her head. “You think so?”

He nodded. “You’re in a good mood, you haven’t mocked me in days, and dare I say, you’ve even been pleasant to be around.” His voice picked up a teasing tone, and Gloria could see a small smirk on his face in the final rays of sunlight. “It’s a new experience.”

Gloria rolled her eyes but there was also smile on her face. “Well, _you_ haven’t been acting like a pompous ass lately, so it’s hard to be mean!” She snickered, and even Bede let out a quiet half-chuckle beside her.

“I’m excited, you know?” Gloria turned her head towards him, leaning her hand against the top of the stone wall next to her. “We’re going on a whole adventure together. Aren’t you excited, Bede?”

Bede didn’t say anything, and the two just looked at each other for a moment. His purple eyes caught the last bits of orange light that slowly disappeared over the mountain tops, but even then, Gloria could still see her reflection in them. His skin was completely spotless, and Gloria could have sworn that he had no pores as she searched his pale cheeks. His eyes subtly looked over her face as well, and Gloria almost asked him what he saw, what he was thinking.

After a moment, he brought a hand to the top of her head, messing up her hair and her bangs. Gloria let out a small squeak of surprise, and Bede smirked.

“That’s one way to put it, isn’t it, Gloria?”

Bede pushed off the wall gently and walked past her, heading back towards the cottage, and Gloria watched him go.

He almost never said her real name, and she had forgotten how his voice’s cadence made it sound so smooth to her ears. Her face felt hot as she carefully fixed her hair with an annoyed pout.

\----

Once the sun had completely gone down, Hop and Professor Sonia had said their goodbyes. Bede shook Sonia’s hand, and when he crouched down to say goodbye to Sonia’s Yamper, the Puppy Pokemon hopped up and happily licked Bede’s face. It made up for the second crushing hug that he had to withstand from Hop, who had not been satisfied with a simple “good night.” A friendship with Hop would certainly test the durability of Bede’s spine, let alone his patience. Fortunately, that evening had not given him a change of heart towards the idea; Bede was perfectly happy _not_ seeing Hop.

Once the two researchers had left, Gloria’s mother tapped Bede’s shoulder. “Let me show you to your room, dear,” she invited.

The cottage was only one floor, but Bede followed the woman to a space bedroom near the back of the home. The room was small and lightly decorated with landscape paintings, and the bed was neatly made with a homemade quilt folded at the foot of the mattress.

“Oh, and spare towels are in this closet,” Gloria’s mother said, opening up the neighboring closet door and pulling out a neatly folded bath towel. “And the bathroom is down this hall on the right,” she directed, pointing down the hallway. “Please feel free to take a bath first tonight, okay?”

Bede bowed his head. “Thank you, ma’am, for taking care of me.”

She shook her head, handing Bede the towel in her hands. “I should be thanking you, dear, for taking care of my girl.” Gloria’s mother looked around the room thoughtfully for a moment. “She’s obviously more than capable, but it still makes me feel better to know that she’s with someone.”

Carefully, she reached out and rested her hand against Bede’s cheek. Her palm was warm against his skin and despite his instinct to pull away from it, he didn’t move. “Please look after her for me, dear,” Gloria’s mother said with a loving smile, pulling Bede in and gently kissing his other cheek before leaving him alone in the room.

Bede’s heart thumped in his chest, and his mind was racing as he quickly unpacked his night clothes out of his backpack and ran off to the bathroom. It had been a day of many, many extreme emotions, between his goodbye with Opal and his stress over meeting Gloria’s mother, and Bede was not used to it. He held his hand under the running water filling the bathroom tub, the heat turning his skin pink, and the feeling distracted him from his thoughts.

Honestly, after meeting her and having dinner with everyone, Bede felt incredibly silly and embarrassed over his initial panic. Gloria’s mother was just as one would expect her to be; she was sweet and warm and her resemblance to her daughter was uncanny. She had been very welcoming to him, and on a surface level, he could appreciate that, but he almost wished that she had been more standoffish with him. It would have made the evening go by more smoothly.

Bede sat into the bathtub and sank until his head was fully submerged. He had problems with people, with affection. He had good reason to have them, and Bede wasn’t angry with himself over it, but maybe life would be easier if they weren’t there. His mind drifted to Sonia, Gloria, and Hop all happily being together, and while he didn’t really envy any of them, he could admit that it must be nice to have people to care about and to be cared about by. True, he had Opal, but Opal was ninety years old and wouldn’t be around forever, and that would just be more pain than Bede wanted to handle.

Breaking the surface of the water, Bede caught his breathe, wiping the drops of water from his eyes. He had his Pokemon, and he loved them all deeply, especially his beloved Hatterene. He would catch new Pokemon on this adventure and hopefully develop similar connections to them, while also becoming a better trainer in the process. That’s what he continued to tell himself as he scrubbed at his skin.

After he had bathed, dried off, and put on his night clothes of a loose shirt and some pink pajama pants, Bede finally took the time to let Hatterene out of her Poke Ball. Her eyes darted around the room, not knowing where she was, until they rested on Bede and she let out a relieved cry. Bede sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her into a hug, resting his head against her forehead. She must have been able to tell he had been emotionally drained from the day, as her touch was especially comforting, and Bede felt the weight on his mind lift almost instantly.

Bede quietly recounted the day’s events to her, filling her in. He had felt guilty for not having her outside her ball throughout the day, but based on her reactions to the more emotionally negative parts of his recap, it was probably for the best. The last thing he needed was Hatterene getting upset during one of these moments due to his or someone else’s intense feelings. She could handle herself fine, but those psychic powers could be brutal, as much as the thought of Hop being telekinetically thrown across a field by Hatterene made Bede chuckle.

Hatterene’s tentacle twitched, and she turned towards the door with a questioning chirp. Before Bede could ask, a soft knock came at the door. Before he could answer, the door gently opened, and Gloria poked her head in.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said quietly, opening the door entirely. She was in a tank top and some loose, drawstring shorts, and her hair was still wet from the bath she must have just left. Hatterene let out a cry in greeting, and Gloria’s face broke into a smile.

“Hi, sweetie! How are you?” she cooed, petting the top of Hatterene’s head lovingly while the Pokemon purred at the touch.

 _Traitor_ , Bede thought teasingly.

Gloria looked up at Bede. “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything else before going to bed?”

Bede shook his head. “Nothing comes to mind.” It was strange seeing Gloria in her pajamas, though he supposed he should get used to it.

“Okay, good.” Gloria stretched her arms out over her head, sighing. “I have no clue how I’m even going to sleep tonight. I’m still all hyped up even after that bath.”

“Well, you’ll have to manage somehow,” Bede said. “I don’t know how this whole debacle will start if you’re already exhausted.”

Gloria laughed. “Yeah, that’s true. I’ll figure something out.” She walked back outside the door, nearly closing it all the way before popping her head back in.

“Good night, Bede!”

“Good night.”

\----

Their morning started before the sun had even risen. Both Bede and Gloria were dressed shortly after their alarms went off, meeting in the kitchen for breakfast and last-minute packing. Bede couldn’t help noticing that Gloria wore her old, green beret over her long hair and quirked an eyebrow.

“How nostalgic,” he teased, poking it with his finger. Gloria blushed and slapped his hand away.

“Just put this damn tent in your bag,” Gloria growled, shoving the object into Bede’s hand.

Gloria’s mother had been awake as well, still in her own pajamas, and took the liberty of making another full meal for them. It was all unnecessary, especially since her mother had stuck to drinking coffee instead of eating (she was going back to bed), but she had insisted on cooking. Sure enough, the meal was delicious, and Bede felt energized.

After eating, Gloria’s mother walked them both to the door. Gloria and she shared a tight hug, Gloria kissing her mum on the cheek. “Be careful out there, love,” her mother said, rubbing her hand over Gloria’s back. Gloria’s mother then hugged Bede without hesitation, and Bede managed to awkwardly wrap his hands around her back even with his heart thumping in his throat.

“Good luck, you two!” she said, waving from her front step. Both Bede and Gloria waved back, turned and made their way down the steps from the cottage, their bags securely on their backs.

Gloria pointed towards the horizon. “You see those mountains there?” Bede followed her finger and nodded. “That’s our first destination. We’ll hopefully reach the first peak before the sun goes down.”

The sun was just beginning to color the peaks of the mountain range. Bede inwardly groaned at the thought of hiking all day, but he took a deep breathe and looked down at Gloria.

“Right then. Shall we begin?”

Gloria beamed up at him, her smile joyous and radiant.

"Let's do it!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh shit, six chapters in and WE'RE FINALLY STARTING THE TRIP. 
> 
> Hell yeah.
> 
> Get in touch on Tumblr: https://strategicdilemma.tumblr.com/


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, it's been SO LONG.
> 
> Thank you so much for letting me take a short break. I've thrown up a couple of Bederia and WyndonShipping works in the meantime, but I'm ready to get back on this train and I've brought you a chapter that I genuinely love a lot.
> 
> I shouted this out already on Amaretto, but I'll do it here too: I'm helping run a new Bederia/DressedInPinkShipping discord server! Feel free to join using this link: https://discord.gg/c4p2KVS

The first couple hours of their day were spent surrounded by farmland. Bede and Gloria walked together along the stone walls separating the fields from the rest of the world, though Gloria did most of her walking on top of the walls while Bede walked beside them. Herds of Wooloo were grazing in the fields and, much to Bede’s chagrin, Gloria kept insisting on stopping to pet the curious ones that came over to see them.

“Weren’t _you_ the one who said we had a schedule?” Bede deadpanned, as Gloria snuggled her face into one Wooloo’s wool. A muffled “fuck off” was the only response he got, and he rolled his eyes. Still, when he was sure that Gloria wasn’t looking, he briefly scratched under the chin of one of the Wooloo, its happy bleat pleasant to his ears.

They had also stopped in Wedgehurst to pick up ingredients from a local vendor, consisting of mostly berries and some cans of food. They had also made their way to the Pokemon Center to get some supplies from the PokeMart inside, each buying their share of healing items, like Hyper Potions and Revives. However, when it came to buying balls, they couldn’t help having a spat at the counter.

“Who cares about the color of the ball anyway? Just buy the balls that works best!” Gloria argued.

“Just because you like to use an ugly cacophony of balls in your roster does not mean that I must,” Bede scoffed. “Some of us care for a bit of _consistency_.”

“ _Consistency_ ,” mocked Gloria, “doesn’t mean shit when you have a Pokemon breaking out of your stupid Great Ball.”

“How lovely for you to suddenly get concerned with matters that don’t affect you in the slightest.”

“Just don’t blame me for your future embarrassment!”

“Would you _please_ just buy your own balls and _leave me the fuck alone_?”

In the end, Gloria bought thirty Ultra Balls and Bede thirty Great Balls, and the clerk behind the counter seemed relieved when they left.

Soft clouds filled the sky, giving the two some refuge from the sun as they walked. Bede was surprised at just how quaint and calming he found the setting to be. He hadn’t spent a significant time in the countryside, but even he couldn’t have imagined this place feeling so _spacious_. Looking across the scenery, he could spy the large lake in the valley between the hills, and his eyes followed the path from Wedgehurst that led directly to it.

“I didn’t know there was a lake here,” he murmured. Though he was merely thinking aloud, his words caught Gloria’s attention, and her eyes followed where he was looking.

“The lake? That’s where Professor Magnolia lives,” she explained. “You can’t see it from here, but her house is right next to the water.”

“I see,” Bede replied. He didn’t know the Professor that well, only that he was Sonia’s grandmother. “Does she still do research, or has she retired?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest. I haven’t visited since this whole Champion thing.” Gloria’s voice took on a melancholic tone. “Sonia’s told me she’s doing well, but I still feel bad for not stopping in.”

Bede didn’t respond and let silence fill the air between them. He figured Gloria wouldn’t appreciate anything he had to say, anyway.

The sun was bright overhead when the two decided to finally sit down for lunch, and Gloria picked a small clearing underneath a few trees as a resting spot. Their destination had been slowly creeping closer as the day went on, and at the point Bede had to guess they were about an hour or two away from reaching the base of the first peak. Gloria was preoccupied with rifling through her backpack, looking for some food, and Bede sat on a patch of grass, his back against a large rock. He tried stretching his legs out in front of him; his calves felt tight and could definitely feel the cramp in his side from their hike, but he figured he could feel a lot worse.

Gloria called out her Cinderace and with his help, Gloria quickly heat up two cans of soup, cracking them open with a can opener and handing one of them to Bede. He didn’t see what Gloria’s soup was, but his was filled plant-based, filled with several vegetables in a Tamato Berry broth.

“How are you feeling?” Gloria asked, plopping down beneath a tree, leaning against the trunk.

“Not horrible,” he shrugged. “I assume I’ll be feeling the worst of it tomorrow.”

The two ate their soup in mostly silence. Bede had opted to keep Hatterene in her ball for now, even though Gloria’s Cinderace was lounging on the ground between them. Perhaps it was because he didn’t want to expose Hatterene to anything that could upset her, and with Gloria around, Bede knew that negative feelings were only a few words away. Also, while he knew Hatterene liked Gloria well enough, Bede wasn’t actually sure how his Pokemon felt towards Cinderace. The two had fought against one another more that a dozen times, and a majority of that ended in Hatterene’s defeat. For all he knew, Hatterene hated every strand of fur on Cinderace’s body and she would claw his ear off on sight.

In any case, it was easier to let Hatterene rest.

Cinderace’s ears flicked to attention, and he instantly sat up straight from his comfortable position. Gloria frowned, carefully setting her can down on the ground. “What is it, boy?” she whispered, as Cinderace’s nose twitched furiously. His ears flicked once more, and his gaze shot upward towards the trees. Jumping to his feet, Cinderace kicked up a rock with his toes, juggling it lightly on one foot before launching it into the air, his leg swinging around and kicking it full force into the brush of the tree Gloria leaned against.

Cinderace must have hit his mark, as a loud squeal erupted from the tree before its source and numerous leaves fell to the ground with a dull thud. A small Pokemon let out a small groan in pain, its large head hanging lazily as it tried getting up. Dazed, it swung its head around towards Bede’s direction, Bede seeing himself clearly reflected in the Pokemon’s large, oval eyes.

Gloria gasped.

“It’s a Blipbug!”

Blipbug startled at the sound of its name, snapping out of its daze and hastily looking around at its sudden company. When its gaze fell on Cinderace, its eyebrows furrowed angrily. It must have realized that Cinderace was the one to knock it out of its tree, as it began furiously squeaking at the Striker Pokemon, its tiny hands waving rapidly. Cinderace merely stared bewildered as the small Pokemon verbally harassing it, his ears drooping behind him almost guiltily.

Movement in his periphery caused Bede to look at Gloria, who had reached in her bag and pulled out an Ultra Ball.

“You’re joking,” he muttered, but Gloria ignored him.

“Cinderace!” she called, holding the ball out in front of her. Cinderace’s attentions snapped to her and watched as his trainer threw the ball upwards with a grunt. Instantly, his strong legs bent at the knee and launched him into the air. His entire body turned as his foot smashed into the ball, hurling it towards Blipbug’s direction. Blipbug didn’t have enough time to react before the Ultra Ball crashed into its forehead, opening and sucking it inside. Cinderace and the ball landed safely on the ground at the same time, and everyone was motionless as the ball shook, the red light still blinking as the Pokemon inside struggled against being captured.

After about ten seconds, the ball clicked shut and lay motionless in the dirt.

Gloria let out a deep breathe that she must have been holding, running over and picking up the ball. She held it preciously in both of her hands, admiring it a moment as a grin spread across her face. Clasping it tightly against her chest, she squealed in delight as she jumped and stomped around excitedly.

“Bede!” she rushed over to his side, holding out the ball in her hands for him to see. “I caught it! I caught a Blipbug!”

Bede had opened his mouth, fully prepared to remind her that she had just, in fact, _caught a bug_ and that it was hardly worth celebrating, but Gloria had already moved on to show Cinderace. Her Pokemon shared her enthusiasm and the two shared a tight hug, Gloria lifting him off the ground.

“Oh!” Gloria startled, putting Cinderace on the ground again. “I need to have my phone look at it! And it probably needs to be healed!” Cinderace chirped in agreement, and Gloria hastily called out her new Pokemon.

The Blipbug seemed a bit confused when its physical body finally reformed, but it seemed to recognize Gloria as its new trainer, as it cocked its head up at her. Smiling, Gloria pulled out her Rotom phone, squatting down to her Pokemon’s level. Pressing a button, the phone floated out of her hands, scanning the small bug in front of her.

“Hi there, little one,” she cooed, holding her hand out to Blipbug to inspect. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Gloria, and I’m your new trainer.” Blipbug looked at Gloria’s outstretched hand, brushing its cheek cautiously against it. Bede recalled hearing about how Blipbug’s entire body was covered in small hairs to collect information about its surrounding, so this must have been the bug’s way of learning about Gloria.

Cinderace also knelt to Bligbug’s level. He squeaked quietly at the Blipbug, and while the smaller Pokemon jumped at the sight of him, it calmed down as Cinderace spoke to it. Bede figured that Cinderace was probably apologizing for knocking it out of the tree, as he watched Blipbug rub its forehead against Cinderace’s. The Rotom phone beeped, and Gloria took it back in her hand.

Standing up, Bede walked over and crouched beside her, peaking at the phone screen over Gloria’s shoulder.

“It’s a girl,” he muttered, eyes reading over the information on the screen. Gloria’s eyes flicked towards him but otherwise she didn’t respond.

Blipbug turned towards Bede at the sound of his voice, but she must have hurt her side when she fell from the tree, as the small bug cringed and let out a painful cry when it twisted her body. Shutting her eyes tightly, Blipbug braced herself, planting its small feet firmly on the ground. Bede and Gloria both watched as her body began to glow slowly, a quiet hum coming from Bligbug’s mouth as small sparkles surrounded her.

After about thirty seconds, the light faded, and Blipbug’s eyes opened. Carefully, she tried twisting her body, and let out a happy squeal when she no longer felt pain.

“What was that?” Gloria whispered, her voice in awe.

Bede blinked, also surprised. “I think that was Recover,” he replied.

Gloria’s head swung around to face him, her face bewildered. “Recover?!” she cried. She turned towards Blipbug. “ You know Recover?!”

Blipbug just let out a happy cry as a response. Bede shrugged, holding his hand out for Blipbug to rub against.

“Guess you didn’t get a _completely_ useless bug after all,” he smirked.

\----

The sun was rather low in the sky, their escapades during their lunch break taking more time than Bede had expected. Before they had continued their trek, Gloria had recalled Cinderace back to his ball but opted to let Blipbug walk with them.

“Blipbug are curious creatures,” she had explained, letting Blipbug crawl to rest on her shoulder. “They like to gather information, and this way, she can get to know me a bit better!”

Like Bede had expected, it had taken them only a few more hours of hiking before the incline of the first mountain was beneath their feet. The mountain didn’t seem to steep for them to climb, but Bede’s calves still stretched and burned as the incline increased. This had definitely been more exercise in one day than Bede had in the past few months, but still he was surprised at how well his body was holding up.

The sound of nearby explosion filled the air, bouncing off the mountains and echoing throughout the range. Bede and Blipbug startled, and while Gloria didn’t seem nearly as surprised, she still flinched at the sound.

“What in the bloody hell was that?” Bede asked.

“They’re doing construction on the railways,” Gloria explained, through a frown was on her face. “I _thought_ it was just supposed to be maintenance, but it seems more serious than that.”

Bede’s eyebrows furrowed. “Let’s keep moving,” he grumbled. “I’d rather not be on the side of a mountain when those idiots cause a rock slide.”

More explosions filled the air as they continued up the mountains, the ground slightly rumbling underneath their feet. There was no sign of any rock slides yet, but Gloria still decided to recall Blipbug to her ball just in case. “They’ll be lucky if they aren’t attacked by a bunch of angry Onix,” Gloria growled. She turned towards Bede, who was walking behind her. “We’ll stop once we find some flat ground,” she said. “I don’t want to risk anything.”

Bede nodded. The frequency of the explosions was slowly but surely dying down, but the effect was still hanging in the air. Commotion was happening beneath them inside the mountain; Bede could feel the distant vibrations through his feet. If any Pokemon decided to retaliate against the explosions, it would be safer to handle if Gloria and Bede weren’t on an incline.

It was another ten minutes before Bede and Gloria found a decent-size clearing that was flat enough for them to stop. Gloria insisted against setting up anything until they were sure the construction stopped, even though it had been five minutes since the last explosion, and Bede didn’t argue. The rumbling beneath the ground was getting more violent, and Bede didn’t like how he felt his own heart rate speed up. Gloria also must have felt it, as she was pacing around with her arms crossed.

Bede watched her, growing more annoyed; it was strange seeing her anxious, and he didn’t like it.

“Would you _please_ stop pacing like a nervous mother? I assure you that it’s not helping anything.”

Gloria whipped her head around and scowled at him. She opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted when the ground started shaking violently beneath them. A sudden, thundering sound filled Bede’s ears, and he could have sworn he heard Gloria cry out when the ground split between them and knocked him off his feet. Five Pokemon burst from the earth, their claws shining in the setting sun and their chests huffing angrily. One was looking to its side, revealing the large, jagged blade jutting out from its forehead.

_Excadrill._

“Gloria!” Bede yelled out, pushing himself back onto his feet. The Excadrill whipped their heads at the sound of his voice, one slamming its claws into the earth and causing another Earthquake that knocked Bede back to the ground. Before they could move towards him, a large ball of fire slammed into one of them, hurling it to the ground. Cinderace bounced on his feet a few meters away, Gloria getting to her feet behind him.

“High Jump Kick!” she ordered, and Cinderace flew into the air and slammed his foot into another Excadrill.

Once the five Pokemon seemed distracted, Bede scrambled backwards, trying to put as much distance between him and the attacking Excadrill as possible. His not-so-subtle movement must have caught one of the Excadrill’s attention, as it turned towards him and made direct eye contact, a crazed rage in its expression.

With a bellowing cry, the Excadrill launched itself into the air, its claws glowing as it pulled its arm back. Bede squeaked, pulling his feet to his chest just in time as the Excadrill smashed its arm into the earth, exactly where his legs were.

“Leave me,” Bede growled, “ _alone_!” With a shout, he jutted his foot out and kicked Excadrill in the cheek, causing it to stagger backwards in surprise. All that seemed to do was ignite more rage inside it, as Excadrill slammed its claws into the ground and caused the earth beneath Bede to jut upwards, throwing him through the air. Bede crashed a few meters away, his body landing with a thud.

Bede groaned, pushing himself off the broken ground while his body ached. Excadrill let out a loud shout and ran at him, his claws ready to strike. Bede’s hands quickly found purchase on a nearby rock, and he threw it at the Pokemon’s face. Excadrill quickly shielded itself with its metal claws, but it was enough of a distraction for Bede to jam another kick directly into Excadrill’s stomach. The Pokemon fell onto its back, and Bede scrambled to his feet quickly, angry adrenaline pumping through his body.

Ripping his bag off his shoulders, Bede jammed his hand inside.

“ _That_ ,” Bede huffed heavily,

“ _is_ ,” his arm retracted from his bag, holding a Great Ball,

“ _enough!”_

He threw the ball at Excadrill full force, watching it bounce its arm and open wide. Excadrill’s form was pulled inside, and the ball closed and fell to the ground. He breathed heavily, watching the ball shake violently, and Bede suddenly noticed a calm quiet had fallen over the clearing, replacing the thundering chaos that was just there.

“Bede!” He snapped his head towards the source of the shout, seeing Gloria and Cinderace climb over the broken patches of earth to get to him. Gloria quickly stumbled to Bede’s side, grabbing ahold of his shirt to keep from falling.

“Are you okay??” she yelled, her hands searching Bede’s face for any serious injuries.

“I’m fine,” Bede replied, brushing some dirt off his arm. “What about the other Excadrill?”

“They ran off,” she breathed, motioning with her head over to Cinderace. “Cinderace did some serious damage to two of them, and they dug back down into the mountain.”

A soft click caught their attention, and both trainers turned to see the Great Ball lying still on the ground, the red light no longer blinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had no idea how this chapter was gonna go when I started writing it but I love it a whole lot.
> 
> Tumblr: https://strategicdilemma.tumblr.com/  
> Bederia server: https://discord.gg/c4p2KVS


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Squeezed one last chapter in before Bederia Week! 
> 
> By the way, I made a Twitter! Please follow it for updates and any other ramblings I may have, especially now that Bederia Week is starting! https://twitter.com/stratsdilemma
> 
> This is one of the longer chapters, enjoy!

Despite good portions of the ground being torn up by the enraged Excadrill, there was still enough flat earth in the clearing for Bede and Gloria to set up camp for the night. They set up their tent in complete silence, Gloria sensing the waves of tension that seem to radiate off Bede. She wanted to say something, just to lighten the mood, but Bede probably wouldn’t have paid attention to her anyway; his eyes were nearly glazed over, his focus lost in his own thoughts. 

It was understandable though, given how eventful their day had been.

Gloria pulled a picnic blanket out of her bag and laid it out in front of the tent, smoothing out any creases with her hands. “Here,” she said, turning towards Bede. “Go ahead and sit. I’ll make dinner.”

Bede looked at the blanket blankly, but he eventually he nodded. Kicking off his shoes, he made his way to the center and sat down, his movement stiff as he made himself comfortable. He had gotten pretty beat up by the Excadrill, and Gloria didn’t fail to notice the small, pained winces as he shifted on the blanket. He had said that he hadn’t been seriously injured, but Gloria figured he would be sore for a couple days.

In truth, she couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty; this trip had been her idea, but they had barely gone a full day and already Bede was hurt.

Quickly braiding her hair into two pigtails, she called Cinderace and her new Blipbug to join her in making dinner. Cinderace immediately went off to find some firewood, his main task getting the fire going, while Blipbug crawled slowly up to Gloria’s shoulder to watch her trainer set out a small table. A wave of happy nostalgia washed over Gloria as she pulled out her cutting board and knife, remembering her challenger days and how she used to do this every day. She remembered when she first was experimenting with different-flavored berries in her curry, and how she had accidentally burnt most of it since she didn’t know how some berries take longer to cook than others. Cinderace, a small Scorbunny at the time, did his best to eat it, but inevitably they threw all of it away and just ate canned food that night.

 _This trip was a good idea_ , she reassured herself. _No matter what,_ you _needed this._

Gloria shed the jacket she was wearing, tossing it off to the side. As she reached into her bag to grab her apron, she caught a glimpse at Bede, sitting cross-legged on the picnic blanket. He was holding a Great Ball in his hands, turning it over and examining it carefully. With a gloomy pout, he was fixated on the it.

Gloria sighed.

There was not much she could do to help _that_ situation.

Gloria had caught her fair share of Pokemon that weren’t too keen on her to start, but she had never caught one that had attacked her in an enraged frenzy (she also never caught a Pokemon that she had physically assaulted, but that was beside the point). Excadrill was obviously very aggressive and not a fan of Bede, so it probably wouldn’t be immediately open to having him for a trainer. It absolutely wouldn’t be easy, but she hoped that Bede would be up for it.

Gloria realized that she was selfishly wishing Bede wouldn’t just immediately release it, even though she had to admit that doing so would be the easiest solution. She shook her head, brushing these thoughts aside. It wasn’t her choice to make, she had to remember that.

“Hey Bede!” she called out, his attention snapping away from the Great Ball in his hands. “Hatterene has been her ball all day, you should let her out!”

Bede stared blankly at her, slowly processing her statement, but Gloria saw when he clicked back to reality. Sitting up straight, he placed the Great Ball next to him on the blanket and pulled out Hatterene’s ball. Calling her out, his face softened immediately when she took form next to him. His Pokemon cried happily as a greeting but her smile faded as she looked at him. Cocking her head, she cooed questioningly, sensing something was off, but Bede smiled and shook his head.

“I’m fine,” he said, reaching his hand up and petting her hair. “No need to worry.”

Once Cinderace returned with a hefty stack of firewood in his arms, he quickly began making the fire and Gloria got back to working on dinner. Blipbug still perched on her shoulder observing, Gloria began peeling some potatoes she had picked up in Wedgehurst. She wasn’t sure what kind of flavors Bede and his Pokemon liked, so she figured it would just be easier to do a medley in the curry. As she peeled, Cinderace helped himself to Gloria’s bag, pulling out the grill rack to go over the fire. He had a bounce in his step as he moved, more so than usual.

 _He’s enjoying this too_ , she thought fondly.

Cinderace had plenty of experiencing helping Gloria with cooking, so the process went quickly and smoothly. Blipbug watched intensely the entire time, only squeaking when Gloria would surprise her with a tiny scratch on her large head. Bede and Hatterene had made themselves comfortable, Hatterene resting her head on Bede’s lap while he stroked her head. Bede was mostly gazing at the horizon, highlighted by the rising moon, but once or twice Gloria caught him observing her and Cinderace cook.

“You know,” she said one instance she caught him watching her, “ _you’ll_ be the one cooking dinner for _me_ at some point.” She waved her ladle at him. “And I _won’t_ let you use Cinderace.”

Bede gave her a perturbed look, rolling his eyes, and Gloria smirked to herself.

Everyone convened on the picnic blanket to eat. The Pokemon gathered, Blipbug immediately taking an interest in Hatterene, while their trainers sat back and kept an eye on them. Hatterene had initially seemed wary of Cinderace but seeing his interactions with the small bug Pokemon seemed to calm her down, as the three were soon lost in conversation over their meal.

Bede and Gloria ate quietly, but Gloria took the fact that Bede was actually _eating_ her cooking as a good sign.

When it came time to sleep, they split up to put on their pajamas in private, Gloria changing inside the tent and Bede out in the clearing. It was decided that their Pokemon would sleep outside to keep guard, but when Blipbug snuck in to inspect all of their belongings, Gloria couldn’t help wanting to spoil her. Gloria had always loved the Blipbug line, even though she never had one of her own, and she found her new Pokemon’s curiosity so endearing.

“Can she sleep in here with us?” Gloria asked Bede when he entered the tent, dressed in his pink pajama pants and loose white shirt while holding his day clothes.

Bede raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to be like this for _every_ new Pokemon you catch?”

“Oh, come on!” she begged, pouting. “ _Please?_ ”

Bede huffed. “Fine, suit yourself.”

Laying out her sleeping bag, Gloria barely had slipped inside before Blipbug was on top of it, feeling out the fabric with her small receptors. Gloria cooed to her until she crawled into her trainer’s lap, curling into a ball as Gloria stroked her head. Bede watched as he laid out his own sleeping bag, much thicker and fluffier than Gloria’s. Before climbing inside of it, he reached into his back and pulled out Excadrill’s Great Ball, holding it tightly. Lying his head on his pillow, he held the ball over him, a frown on his face.

Gloria felt a pang of empathy in her chest. Bede probably would have also liked to spend time with his first-caught Pokemon, but that just hadn’t been an option.

“What are you going to do?” Gloria asked quietly. Bede shut his eyes tightly and groaned, hitting the side of the ball against his forehead in frustration.

“I don’t know,” he admitted.

\----

Bede was _not_ made to sleep on the ground, he realized as he groggily opened his eyes the next morning. Gloria seemed to already be awake, the commotion outside the tent telling him that she was making breakfast.

Sitting up, Bede gasped as his body ached, his legs stiff from hiking and his side beaten from the encounter with Excadrill. Lifting up his shirt, he noticed a nasty bruise had formed on the left side of his torso, ugly blotches of blue and purple covering his skin. This was from when he crashed into the ground, he realized, gently prodding at the bruise with a hiss.

After a few minutes of stretching to loosen up his legs, Bede finally joined the others outside the tent. Hatterene must have heard him moving around, as she was waiting just outside the tent to greet him with a hug. Bede lazily hugged her back, careful to not put too much pressure on his side.

“Good morning!” Gloria was cooking something in her pot over the fire, her apron tied over her pajamas. Bede could tell that she had slept better than him; the bright aura that was shining off her was giving Bede a headache. “I’m making oatmeal for breakfast, so figure out what you want with it!”

Bede grumbled in response. Waking up early every day to have tea with Opal was part of his routine, but he found himself wanting to crawl back into the tent and fall asleep. The only thing stopping him was the knowledge of how uncomfortable sleeping in a tent actually was.

As Gloria continued to cook, Bede looked around the clearing. He couldn’t help noticing that Gloria’s Pokemon were getting along nicely: Cinderace was juggling a couple of pebbles with his foot, Blipbug’s reflective eyes wide as she watched in fascination. Bede frowned, his eyes darting over to Hatterene. She was separated from the other Pokemon, sitting on the edge of the picnic blanket and doodling small designs in the dirt with her tentacle. She seemed content enough, but Bede knew that she was acting more mellow than she usually did.

 _She’s lonely,_ he thought. Hatterene always had Bede’s other Pokemon to spend time with at the Gym, getting along the best with his Gardevoir, but she was alone here. Even though she seemed to get along with Gloria’s Pokemon alright, Bede guessed that she didn’t feel especially close to them. He didn’t blame her: one was freshly caught and the other she had fought on numerous occasions.

Bede’s thoughts drifted back to the Great ball lying next to his sleeping bag.

“Bede? Hello?”

Gloria snapped her fingers in front of his face, jolting him out of his thoughts. “I said breakfast was ready,” she said, her eyebrow raised. “You okay? You seem a bit out of it.”

Bede stared at her. Hatterene must have noticed something as she was now looking in his direction, no longer doodling on the ground.

“I want to let Excadrill out,” he said. Gloria’s eyes widened. “Not now, of course, but soon,” he added.

“Yeah, sure,” Gloria replied, a bit dumbfounded. “Do you want my help? We can find a safe place on the mountain, just in case.”

“That would probably be smart,” Bede nodded. “Thank you.”

Once they were done with breakfast, the trainers quickly dressed and headed away from the campsite, leaving their Pokemon behind. Bede couldn’t help feeling nervous; there was no possible way that Excadrill was going to like him, but Bede just hoped that Excadrill wouldn’t tear out his jugular before he could blink. Given that their last interaction had involved Bede kicking it in the sternum, however, Bede wasn’t going to get his hopes up.

Once they had found a relatively flat part of the mountain side, Bede quickly shed his bag and handed it to Gloria, who retreated to a safe distance.

Bede rolled his shoulders back and took a deep breath, holding the Great Ball to his chest. _Relax_ , he told himself, _things will be worse if you appear afraid._ Spreading his feet slightly, Bede looked down at the ball, nodding to himself.

“Excadrill!” he yelled, winding his arm back. “ _Go!”_

The ball flew from his hand, opening midair as Excadrill’s form started to take shape. As the ball landed somewhere nearby, the Subterrene Pokemon slammed into the ground, breaking its fall with its claws. Its back towards Bede, the Pokemon slowly looked around suspiciously, recognizing the mountainside but knowing something was off. Sticking its face towards the sky, the Pokemon sniffed. Bede’s hands balled into fists at his side, preparing himself.

Sure enough, once it recognized Bede’s scent, Excadrill whirled around to face him, furiously glowering as it hunched its back, ready to attack.

“Excadrill,” Bede asserted, using all of his concentration to keep his voice steady. “My name is Bede, and I’m your trainer now.”

Excadrill responded with a growl, snarling angrily as it flexed its claws.

“I am _your trainer_ ,” he repeated, taking a step forward. Excadrill punched its right arm into the ground, cracks forming as the earth shook beneath their feet. Bede stumbled but managed to stay on his feet.

 _That was a weaker Earthquake_ , Bede thought. _That was supposed to be a warning._

He felt his blood pressure rising.

 _“Excadrill_ ,” Bede warned through clenched teeth, taking another step. Excadrill hissed back, spearing large rocks on his metal claws and hurling them at Bede. Bede managed to dodge them, jumping out of the way just in time, but Excadrill slammed both of its arms into the earth to use Earthquake again. This one was much more violent, parts of their earth jutting upwards as Bede was knocked to the ground. He let out a cry of pain as he landed on his bruise, his side throbbing.

Okay, now he was _pissed._

“ _I am your trainer!”_ he yelled, his eyes seeing red, “ _Whether you like it or not!!”_

Excadrill let out a roar, its claws glowing as it prepared to use Metal Claw, and it took off full sprint in Bede’s direction. Bede snarled, closing his eyes and bracing himself for the impact.

“ _Return!_ ”

Gloria’s voice rang out in Bede’s ears, and the blow from Excadrill never came. Opening his eyes, he saw that Excadrill was gone and Gloria stood next to him. She was breathing heavily, as though she herself had sprinted over to him, and Excadrill’s Great Ball was in her shaking hand.

The two made eye contact, Gloria’s eyes wide with terror as she rushed over to him. “Are you okay??” she urged, pulling Bede off the ground. “I heard you cry out, did it hurt you?? I have some first aid supplies in my b—”

Bede interrupted her by shoving her off him, jutting his hand out towards her expectantly. “Give it to me,” he growled.

Gloria stared, looking between his face and his outstretched hand. Her brows pursed together in concern. “What?” she asked, and Bede could see her fingers clench tighter around the ball.

“Give me the damn ball,” he repeated. “I’m getting rid of this wretched thing right now.”

The look Gloria gave him was a mix of shock and anger, and she pulled the ball protectively against her chest. “You can’t just _release_ it,” she said incredulously.

“What the hell do you mean? Of course, I can! That thing _attacked_ me.”

“It was _scared!”_ she insisted, tucking the ball safely in her pocket. “It’s _still_ scared! All the explosions going on yesterday, it’s no wond—!”

“That _thing_ ,” Bede hissed, “is a _monster_. You saw it! That thing _cannot_ be trained!”

“It _can!_ I promise!” Her tone was pleading, but every word she uttered was bringing Bede further to a breaking point. “It’s not going to be easy, sure, but with a bit of time and patience, you both can grow into a good pair! I’m sure of it! You have so much potential as a trainer and this would be such a good learn—”

“Oh yes, because of course Miss _Fucking_ Champion knows everything there is about being a trainer!” Bede snapped. “Tell me, did you drag me along on this little _vacation_ of yours just to ridicule me?!”

“What?” Gloria recoiled. “No! Of course no—!”

“You’ll have to forgive me, _Champion_ ,” his voice dripping with venom, “but I don’t especially take pleasure in being your _jester_. I know you think you’re untouchable, high up on your _fucking pedestal_ in Wyndon, but I’m not just going to sit here and let you _lecture me_ on ho—"

“I _didn’t_ bring you here to fucking make fun of you!” Gloria exploded, her own patience gone. “I _invited_ you on this trip because you’re my _friend_ , asshole!”

“ _We are_ _not friends!”_

“Oh, that’s right!” Gloria threw her hands up in the air. “ _You don’t have any friends_! You just run off to the forest while still acting like you’re fucking _better than everyone else!_ You’re too good to talk to any press and you make the _rest of us_ cover for you, when in reality you’re a fucking _sore loser_ and a _coward_! _”_

Bede fumed, his whole body shaking, but he did his best to bite his tongue. This would _not_ end well, he knew that. Turning around, he began to walk away.

“Oh what, are you going to run away again?!” she yelled after him. “Gonna go back to _rot_ in the forest with an old lady you’re too _damaged_ to love?!”

Bede froze.

His memory was a blur, but the next thing he remembered was grabbing the collar of Gloria’s shirt, lifting her onto her tiptoes as his whole body quaked in utter _fury_.

“ _You don’t know anything about me,”_ he hissed, his voice frighteningly quiet. “You don’t know what I’ve _been through_ ,” he shook her violently for emphasis, “and you have _no fucking right_ to talk to me like you do.”

“Well, maybe I _would_ ” she growled back, “if you would just let people _in_ sometimes and not act like you're _better than us_.”

 _Stop!_ a voice in the back of Bede’s head yelled. _Stop before you do something you regret! STOP!_

Bede’s gaze dropped to the ground, letting Gloria go from his grip. “The train station near the Wild Area,” he stated. “Once we get there, I’m _leaving_. Go off on your little adventure on your own, but _I’m done_.” Without looking at her, he turned and broke into a run, leaving Excadrill’s ball and his own bag behind.

Bede couldn’t see where he was going, but he ran. It wasn’t until later did he realize that it was because of the hot tears spilling down his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh.
> 
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